The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T) launched a pilot Short-Term Skill Training Programme (STSTP) on July 3, 2026, at the ITC-Integrated Consumer Goods Manufacturing and Logistics (ICML) facility in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. The programme offers an Assistant Baking Technician Certificate aligned with NSQF Level 3, and the inaugural batch of 18 trainees will undergo industry-integrated training from July 7 to August 20, 2026, with all trainees already assured of employment at ITC Ltd. This marks a significant step toward building an industry-ready workforce through direct collaboration between a national institute and a private manufacturing giant.
What Is the Short-Term Skill Training Programme?
The STSTP is a pilot initiative designed to equip youth with sector-specific skills in food processing and manufacturing through a hands-on, factory-floor training model. The programme offers an Assistant Baking Technician Certificate at NSQF Level 3, a level that corresponds to a skilled worker or technician capable of performing well-defined tasks with limited supervision.
The inaugural batch of 18 trainees will receive practical training inside ITC’s operational manufacturing lines at the ICML facility in Trichy. This industry-integrated approach, called Industry-Integrated Training (IIT), ensures that trainees learn on real production equipment, under real factory conditions, rather than in simulated classroom environments.
The programme was formally inaugurated by Prof. V. Palanimuthu, Director of NIFTEM-Thanjavur, alongside Shri Surjeet Singh Roria, General Manager and Head of ITC-ICML, and Shri Padmanabhan T., Senior HR Manager at ITC-ICML.
Understanding NSQF Level 3
The National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) is a competency-based framework that organizes qualifications into levels based on knowledge, skills, and aptitude. It was launched by the Government of India in December 2013 and is regulated by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), which was established in December 2018 under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
NSQF Level 3 represents a skilled worker level, equivalent to a senior secondary (Class 12) qualification in the general education system. This means the certified Assistant Baking Technician can perform well-defined operational tasks, apply practical baking knowledge, work with limited supervision, and take responsibility for production quality and safety on the factory floor.
NIFTEM-Thanjavur is recognized by NCVET as a Deemed Awarding Body, which authorizes it to award nationally recognized certifications for NSQF-aligned qualifications. This recognition ensures that the certificates issued under the STSTP carry national credibility and are accepted across the food processing industry.
NIFTEM-Thanjavur: An Institute of National Importance
NIFTEM-Thanjavur, located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, is one of India’s premier institutions in food technology and processing. Its origins trace back to 1967, when it was established as the Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) to help farmers preserve high-moisture paddy. The Ministry of Food Processing Industries upgraded it to the Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) in 2008, and later renamed it the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) in 2017.
In July 2021, Parliament passed the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Act, 2021, granting Institute of National Importance (INI) status to both NIFTEM-Thanjavur and NIFTEM-Kundli (Sonipat, Haryana). This elevated status gives the institutes greater financial and academic autonomy, similar to IITs and NITs.
Today, NIFTEM-T offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in food technology and related fields. It also houses a NABL-accredited food quality testing laboratory that serves as a notified FSSAI Referral Food Laboratory. The institute operates liaison offices in Guwahati, Assam and Bathinda, Punjab to extend skill development and incubation support to farmers and entrepreneurs.
The ITC-ICML Partnership Model
The training is being conducted at ITC Ltd’s Integrated Consumer Goods Manufacturing and Logistics (ICML) facility in Trichy. ITC’s ICML network represents the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing backbone, leveraging smart manufacturing, automation, and Industry 4.0 technologies to produce a wide range of fast-moving consumer goods.
This partnership is significant because it embeds skill training directly inside an operational industrial facility. Trainees are not learning in a separate training centre but on the actual production lines where they will eventually work. The model ensures practical relevance, as training mirrors real factory conditions, and direct employability, since all 18 trainees have assured jobs at ITC upon completion. It also reduces the skill gap by building industry-specific competencies from day one and achieves cost efficiency, as the industry partner provides infrastructure and expertise while NIFTEM-T provides certification and academic oversight.
This type of industry-integrated training aligns with the broader objectives of the Skill India Mission and the National Education Policy 2020, both of which emphasize experiential learning and industry-academia collaboration.
India’s Broader Skilling Push in Food Processing
The food processing sector is a major pillar of India’s economy. It accounts for 12.41% of total employment in the organized manufacturing sector and has seen its Gross Value Added (GVA) grow from ₹1.34 lakh crore in 2014-15 to ₹1.92 lakh crore in 2022-23.
MoFPI operates several flagship schemes to develop the sector:
| Scheme | Outlay | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) | ₹6,520 crore (15th FC cycle) | Infrastructure development for food processing |
| Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) | ₹10,900 crore | Supporting global food manufacturing champions |
| PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) | ₹10,000 crore | Formalizing and upgrading micro food processing units |
Under PMKSY alone, 1,607 projects had been approved as of December 2025, benefiting over 36 lakh farmers and generating more than 4.69 lakh employment opportunities across the country.
The STSTP pilot adds a new dimension to these efforts by directly linking skill training with assured employment. If successful, this model could be expanded to other food processing sub-sectors and to other ITC-ICML facilities across India, creating a replicable template for industry-integrated vocational training.
Key Takeaways
- The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) and NIFTEM-Thanjavur launched a pilot Short-Term Skill Training Programme (STSTP) on July 3, 2026 at the ITC-ICML facility in Trichy, Tamil Nadu.
- The programme offers an Assistant Baking Technician Certificate at NSQF Level 3, equivalent to a senior secondary (Class 12) level skilled worker qualification.
- The first batch of 18 trainees will undergo industry-integrated training from July 7 to August 20, 2026, with all trainees assured of employment at ITC Ltd.
- NIFTEM-Thanjavur, originally established as Paddy Processing Research Centre in 1967, is an Institute of National Importance (INI) under the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Act, 2021.
- The NSQF was launched in December 2013 and is regulated by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), established in December 2018 under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
- The food processing sector contributes 12.41% of organized manufacturing employment, with MoFPI implementing three major schemes: PMKSY (₹6,520 crore), PLISFPI (₹10,900 crore), and PMFME (₹10,000 crore).
