Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Friday, 9 October 2026, called on young graduates to position themselves as job creators, innovators, and solution providers rather than job seekers, highlighting India's food processing sector as a powerful engine for employment, entrepreneurship, and farmer welfare. He made the remarks at the Convocation of the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K), in New Delhi.

Key Developments at NIFTEM-K Convocation

Paswan told graduating students that the food processing sector, despite recent progress, still holds enormous untapped potential. He outlined how the sector can simultaneously address food quality, value addition, farmer incomes, job creation, and reduction of food wastage — making it one of the most multi-dimensional growth corridors in the Indian economy.

The minister urged students to leverage technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship to tackle emerging challenges, assuring them that the government would back new ideas aimed at strengthening the sector.

Brand India and the Quality Imperative

Paswan made a pointed appeal for uncompromising quality standards in the food sector. He stressed that the quality of an Indian product does not merely reflect on a single company — it shapes the global standing of 'Brand India' in international markets. This framing positions food processing not just as a domestic employment strategy, but as a tool of India's soft power and export competitiveness.

India as a Global Food Basket

The minister argued that India's vast agricultural base, diverse produce, and large consumer market give the country a credible pathway to emerge as a 'Global Food Basket'. He underlined the need to bring food value chains, processing facilities, and technology closer to farms and rural areas, so that the gains from food processing reach producers at the grassroots — not just urban aggregators and exporters.

What Officials and the Institute Said

Avinash Joshi, Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, highlighted the wider role of food processing in reducing waste, enhancing nutrition and value addition, and creating livelihood opportunities. He emphasised the importance of building skilled human resources and encouraging researchers to pursue scalable innovations.

NIFTEM-K Director Dr Harinder Singh Oberoi noted that the institute has made significant strides in academics, research, infrastructure, and industry partnerships, signalling its growing role as an incubator for agri-food talent in India.

Why This Matters

India's food processing sector remains significantly underdeveloped relative to the scale of its agricultural output — a gap that translates into enormous post-harvest losses and unrealised farmer income. Paswan's remarks come amid a broader government push to channel youth aspirations toward high-impact sectors. This is the Nth in a series of ministerial addresses at agricultural and agri-tech institutions that have sought to reframe food processing as a strategic national priority rather than a subsidiary industry. The forward-looking question is whether institutional support and policy incentives will follow the rhetoric.