Govt Unveils Major Skill-Training Drive to Bridge Talent Gap in Food Processing Sector
In a significant push to strengthen India’s fast-growing food-processing industry, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has rolled out an extensive, structured skill-development programme aimed at addressing the sector’s widening talent gap.
The initiative—anchored by the Food Industry Capacity and Skill Initiative (FICSI)—focuses on training workers, entrepreneurs, and micro-enterprises across both traditional processing techniques and emerging technologies, including plant-based foods and fortified products.
According to the ministry, FICSI has developed more than 60 vocational job roles approved by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). These qualification packs, created in collaboration with industry bodies, include competencies linked to new-age areas such as advanced food-safety compliance, alternative proteins, and functional foods. All training standards undergo a systematic review every 36 months to keep pace with evolving industrial needs.
The government is also leveraging the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Enterprises (PMFME) scheme to expand short-term skilling programmes across states and Union Territories. Since 2020–21, over 1.09 lakh beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme, with a focus on strengthening micro and nano food businesses.
Two national-level institutes—NIFTEM Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and NIFTEM Kundli in Haryana—continue to play a pivotal role in capacity building. Between 2018–19 and 2024–25, the institutions have together trained over 34,700 individuals through entrepreneurship programmes, skill-development courses, and short-term certifications tailored to industry needs.
To date, FICSI and related government initiatives have certified and trained more than 2.72 lakh candidates, with 2.60 lakh of them trained through the flagship Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). Officials say these efforts mark a major leap in building a qualified workforce for the sector.
The training ecosystem is further supported by schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) programmes, which focus on technology adoption, cold-chain expansion, safety compliance, and entrepreneurship development.
With India eyeing a sharper global competitive edge, the government’s renewed skill-building push is expected to enhance value addition, strengthen rural enterprises, generate employment, and accelerate the country’s transformation into a world-class food-processing hub.