FoodTech Kerala expo showcases innovation in food processing and packaging
Kochi: "We never knew that powders of dried vegetables like carrot and beetroot were available in India, and this is a good means to introduce them to people," said George and Philomena, elderly couple from Vennala who visited the 16th edition of FoodTech Kerala exhibition, which began at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Ground in the city on Thursday.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Being state's premier exhibition of food processing and packaging technology, one of the standout features of this year's edition was the 104 stalls under Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, showcasing a diverse range of innovative products and services from Kerala's own food processing entrepreneurs. The diversity on display in the exhibition reflected Kerala's rich food heritage, including spices, pickles, traditional snacks, seafood products, ready-to-eat coconut chips and nutritional packs manufactured from regional produce.
Ripe mango pickle and mushroom pickles were among the standout products.
"We are receiving a great response from visitors, who are awed by the variety of jackfruit products. This is a great platform to bring the goodness of jackfruit to the wider populace," said Vijay Kumar from Golden Jack stall.
Organized by Cruz Expos, a Kochi-based professional B2B event organizer, the three-day-long exhibition is supported by department of industries, ministry of food processing industry (MFPOI), Kerala Bureau of Industrial Promotion (KBIP) and Kerala Agricultural University (KAU).
Officially inaugurating the expo, industries minister P Rajeeve emphasized govt's commitment to supporting MSMEs and startups in the sector. "Three years ago, Kerala's achievement in PMFME was 57% and we were in 12th position. Now, it has increased to 102% and Kerala is in 1st position," he said.
HotelTech Kerala, state's premier exhibition for hospitality sector, focused on HORECA (hotels, resorts, restaurants and catering) sector, ran alongside FoodTech Kerala, with over 100 exhibitors displaying linen and furnishings, hotel and kitchen equipment.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Seminars by academic and industry experts marked the second half of the day's events. GM Conclave and Purchase Managers Meet, sponsored by Pune Gas, will be the highlight on Day 2 of HotelTech Kerala 2025.
Kerala Barista Workshop (KBW), a five-day intensive workshop conducted by Coffee Board, Bengaluru, is also being held at Chavara Institute, Kochi, from May 20 to 24.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
29 minutes ago
- Business Standard
JK Cement acquires 60% stake in J&K-based Saifco Cements for Rs 150 cr
As per the shareholders' agreement between the company and its promoters, JK Cement will acquire management control and hold 60 per cent of the paid-up capital of Saifco Listen to This Article JK Cement has completed the acquisition of a majority 60 per cent stake in Jammu & Kashmir-based Saifco Cements for Rs 150 crore, formalising a joint venture with the company. This makes the JK Organisation group firm as the first major cement manufacturer to set up manufacturing operations in Srinagar, signalling a step towards regional economic empowerment, according to a joint statement. As per the shareholders' agreement between the company and its promoters, JK Cement will acquire management control and hold 60 per cent of the paid-up capital of Saifco. "The investment of Rs 149.81 crore would be paid to the existing promoters of Saifco and also to Saifco for acquisition of 60 per cent equity capital of Saifco," it said. Following this, Saifco Cements has become a subsidiary of JK Cement with immediate effect. Moreover, the "board of the Saifco shall be re-constituted and three persons nominated by the company will be appointed as additional directors on the board of Saifco and two directors will continue to represent the existing promoter and promoter group of Saifco," it said. Incorporated in 1997, Saifco has an integrated plant in Khonmoh (Srinagar) and is manufacturing OPC with a clinker capacity of 0.26 MnTPA and a grinding capacity of 0.42 MnTPA. Its turnover for 2024-25 was at Rs 73.17 crore. JK Cement Managing Director Raghavpat Singhania said, "We are pleased to welcome the Saifco Cements family into the JK Cement family. The Jammu & Kashmir market has untapped potential for local manufacturing, and with our combined expertise, we aim to transform the region and ensure benefits for the communities." Saifco Cements Director Suhail Manzoor Guna said, "This alliance reflects our shared vision of advancing infrastructure in Kashmir while creating meaningful opportunities for its people. JK Cement's strong legacy and commitment to inclusive growth perfectly align with our belief in building a stronger, self-reliant Valley. We look forward to this collaboration unlocking new potential, enhancing operational scale, and paving the way for long-term progress in the region." JK Cement has an installed grey cement capacity of 24.34 MnTPA. It is one of the leading manufacturers of white cement globally, with a total white cement capacity of 1.12 MnTPA and wall putty capacity of 1.33 MnTPA.
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Drishti IAS to continue independently 'for now', after considering Physics Wallah deal, funding via IPO
'At Drishti IAS, our decisions are always based on a long-term vision. Though we explored various funding options during last year, including Initial Public Offering (IPO) and discussions with a few strategic investors including Physics Wallah, we have decided to continue independently for now. We hope we'll keep doing better on our own, and if required, we'll explore other options as per circumstances in the future,' Drishti IAS CEO Vivek Tiwari told ThePrint. The institute said it will continue to run independently, as it has for several years. New Delhi: A few months ago, reports suggested that unicorn Physics Wallah was in talks to acquire Drishti IAS, which is among the oldest coaching institutes for civil services preparations. While they were dismissed as mere speculations, the IAS coaching institute has now said it was indeed exploring funding options last year, including through Physics Wallah, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with it. Four major coaching institutes—Drishti IAS, Chaitanya Academy, Rau's IAS Study Circle, and Sarathi IAS—were being considered for potential acquisition as part of a larger consolidation wave in the Indian EdTech and test prep market. With online-first players like Physics Wallah and Unacademy looking to strengthen their offline footprint and diversify into civil services coaching, talks with these legacy UPSC institutes had emerged as strategic opportunities to tap into a loyal student base, particularly in Hindi-medium and regional markets. Drishti IAS was founded in 1999 by popular teacher Vikas Divyakirti in Mukherjee Nagar. It became one of the most well-known institutes for Hindi-medium UPSC aspirants. The Delhi-based institute reported a revenue of Rs 405 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 90 crore in FY24. Vikas Divyakirti's popularity is such that he even appeared in the movie 12th fail, Videos of his classes and lectures receive millions of views on social media. The institute moved to Noida last year after infrastructure issues in Mukherjee Nagar were flagged, following the death of three UPSC aspirants in another institute in the Old Rajinder Nagar area, and fire incidents at other institutes in Mukherjee Nagar. Coaching institutes came under intense scrutiny by public and authorities for infrastructure lapses and licensing issues after these incidents. Sources at Drishti IAS said the institute remains profitable. Physics Wallah is known for offering affordable online coaching. It first gained popularity through YouTube and later launched online courses for JEE and NEET aspirants for admission in engineering and medical courses. But over the last few years, it has been expanding its offerings. It entered the UPSC coaching space after joining forces with OnlyIAS in 2022. The potential acquisition of Drishti IAS was seen as a strategic move to bolster Physics Wallah's offline presence and diversify its portfolio ahead of its planned IPO. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Drishti IAS relocating to Noida, Mukherjee Nagar may see exit of other coaching centres too
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
WWDC 2025: Apple could let developers use its AI models to build new features, says report
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference is all set to take off from 9 June, marking the Cupertino-based tech giant's second-biggest event of the year where it demonstrates all its software prowess. Over the last year, Apple has received a lot of flak for its patchy rollout of new software updates, along with delays in AI features, some of which still haven't arrived. However, the company will likely try to shift attention from those concerns as it focuses on a major rebrand with the unveiling of iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, a significant departure from the current naming scheme used by Cupertino. Gurman says the new AI features to be unveiled by Apple at WWDC 2025 will be minor and are unlikely to impress industry watchers, especially at a time when the pace of AI progress is accelerating, with companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI announcing new products almost every month. Among the AI features Apple is reportedly planning this year is a systemwide push into translation. The Translate functionality will be integrated across Apple operating systems as part of Apple Intelligence, with its main use case being live translation of phone calls and text messages. Gurman adds that the biggest AI-related announcement by Apple will be opening up its large language models (LLMs), the building blocks behind Apple Intelligence, to outside app developers. This will allow them to build their own AI features using the same technology that powers tools like Genmoji and Apple's writing aids. Apple is also expected to announce an upgraded version of its foundation models for both on-device and cloud use at WWDC 2025. Notably, developers will be given access to the on-device version of these LLMs. In terms of other AI announcements, there is unlikely to be any update on Apple's long awaited Siri revamp. Moreover, the Apple's partnership with Google to use Gemini in its apps is also unlikely to be announced at this year's WWDC.
