The food processing industry in India is poised to lead the new economy in driving investments,
opportunities and employment. The food processing sector plays a key role in reducing the
wastage of perishable produce, enhancing shelf life and ensuring value addition at every stage
of the farm-to-fork value chain.
Today, the Indian food processing industry is evolving rapidly with the rise of newer product
segments. This trend is an indicator of shift in consumer preferences for processed food.
Further, many States which were traditionally not strong in food processing have seen rising
food processing capacities and incentives. The industry is thus expected to witness an
expansion by product types and geographies.
The rise of the food processing industry is of enormous significance as it provides a vital link
between two pillars of the economy i.e. agriculture and manufacturing. Eliminating
inefficiencies and wastages, leveraging innovation and opportunities are the drivers for this
sunrise industry.
Kerala has always been a ‘Leader State’ in food processing. Supported by a strong agrarian economy, it boasts of 13 favourable agro-climatic zones. Though small in size, Kerala produces a diverse range of crops providing numerous opportunities of value addition. With its several processing parks and food clusters all along Kerala, the government is determined to see the growth of MSMEs with its new policy initiatives for ease of doing business. Boosting the food sector is today high on its priority list. This makes XIME Kochi, stationed in the middle of Kerala, a hotspot for experiential learning in the food processing sector.
The XIME campus inaugurated in 2013 is a center of excellence in Management studies. Seven
batches of post graduates have successfully graduated and transitioned into Industry in
different management disciplines across multiple sectors. The campus is unique for its gender
and cultural diversity, with students from over 20 states calling it home during their residential
program. Situated adjacent to the Kerala Start-up village, the campus is geared to cross
pollinate knowledge, ideas and learning in multi-faceted domains.
With food processing designated as a high priority sector, XIME is leveraging its expertise by
introducing this program, to produce highly competent professionals in this sector.
