Food Fortification Gets Dedicated Research Centre as Fermenta, NIFTEM T, MoFPI and GAIN Collaborate in Thanjavur

Dr. Ranjit Singh, IA & AS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, inaugurated the Centre in the presence of Prof. V. Palanimuthu, Director, NIFTEM T, Mr. Prashant Nagre, Managing Director, Fermenta Biotech Limited, and Dr. Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian, Country Director, GAIN India, with an initial focus on staples including edible oil and wheat flour.

A dedicated facility for applied research, technology development and capacity building in food fortification has become operational at the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur.
The Fermenta Centre of Excellence for Food Fortification has been established through a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, NIFTEM T, Fermenta Biotech Limited and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
Dr. Ranjit Singh, IA & AS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, inaugurated the Centre in the presence of Prof. V. Palanimuthu, Director, NIFTEM T, Mr. Prashant Nagre, Managing Director, Fermenta Biotech Limited, and Dr. Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian, Country Director, GAIN India.

The initiative follows the strategic MoU signed by Fermenta Biotech Limited and NIFTEM T in 2025 and moves the collaboration into its implementation phase.
The Centre is intended to connect scientific research with practical applications in food fortification. Its work will cover the development, demonstration and dissemination of fortified food technologies, with an emphasis on solutions that can be applied to commonly consumed foods.
Edible oil and wheat flour will be among the staples covered under the initial framework. The facility is also expected to support industry exposure for students, sponsored research, technology transfer and engagement with food startups and innovators.

Mr. Prashant Nagre, Managing Director, Fermenta Biotech Limited, said:
“The real measure of innovation in food fortification is its ability to move from the laboratory into foods that can be produced, adopted and consumed at scale. Through the Fermenta – Centre of Excellence for Food Fortification, our focus is on helping bridge that critical gap—from scientific development and validation to practical food applications. Fermenta will bring its expertise in nutritional ingredients, premixes and fortification to support solutions that are technically sound, commercially viable and relevant to the needs of the food industry. This is where we believe science can begin to translate into meaningful nutritional impact. Fermenta is happy to dedicate this Centre to the nation.”

The Centre will also provide a platform for collaboration between academia and the food industry, with research, demonstrations, technical capability building and knowledge exchange forming part of its scope.
Prof. V. Palanimuthu, Director, NIFTEM T, said:
“The establishment of the Fermenta – Centre of Excellence for Food Fortification marks an important milestone in NIFTEM-T’s efforts to translate scientific research into practical solutions for improving nutrition and strengthening the food-processing sector. The Centre will provide a strong platform for applied research, technology development and demonstration, capacity building, industry–academia collaboration, and knowledge exchange in the field of food fortification. By bringing together the complementary strengths of NIFTEM-T, Fermenta and GAIN, we aim to develop scalable and industry-relevant fortification solutions for commonly consumed foods and facilitate their effective adoption. We look forward to the Centre emerging as a national platform for innovation, skill development and technology transfer in food fortification, contributing meaningfully to India’s nutrition and food-processing ecosystem.”
GAIN India has been involved in connecting the collaboration between Fermenta and NIFTEM T, with the partnership focusing on research, development and knowledge exchange in food processing and nutrition technologies.

Dr. Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian, Country Director, GAIN India, said:
“The partnership that started a little over a year ago between Fermenta and NIFTEM Thanjavur to accelerate innovation in food fortification and strengthen research, development, and knowledge exchange in food processing and nutrition technologies is now celebrating a milestone with the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence in Food Fortification (CEFF). A state-of-the-art facility, CEFF brings together the commitment, passion, and promise of Fermenta and NIFTEM-T in building capacity and driving excellence in the promotion of nutritious foods. We at GAIN are delighted to have been a bridge for this partnership and stand together as partners as we look to celebrate future milestones and achievements. Public-private partnerships like these that build on synergies and complementarities are the backbone to address malnutrition at scale.”
With the facility operational, the collaboration will now focus on moving fortification concepts through research and validation towards practical food applications.
The Centre is also expected to provide an environment where researchers, students, industry participants, startups and nutrition specialists can work on the technical and implementation requirements associated with fortified foods.

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