Kakinada: Admissions to BTech Food Engineering course begin at JNTU-K

Kakinada: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University- Kakinada (JNTU-K) is offering B Tech Food Engineering course and admissions will be held through EAMCET ranks.

The OSD to vice-chancellor of JNTU-K, V Ravindranath said that the food processing sector is growing globally. Skilled professionals are in great demand. A meagre one percent growth rate in food processing industries will lead to 5 lakh direct and 15 lakh indirect employment.

Food processing has huge potential in Andhra Pradesh and AP Food Processing Society is promoting Food Industry with an attractive Food Processing Policy 2020-25 prepared under the guidance of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He said that AP has the highest share of 14.1 percent in employment in Food Processing Industry. JNTU-K has started M Tech course in Food Processing Technology in the academic year 2010-11 with a financial support of Rs 75 lakh from MoFPI. It developed one of the best PG courses in India with modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art laboratories.

Most of the students from first nine batches have got placements in leading food industries and academic institutions including Nestle, ITC, CPF, Godrej Tyson, Tata Coffee, Tata Global Beverages, MTR, Olam, Bambino, Naturo, Vimta labs, Jain Framfresh Foods. The maximum package was Rs 6 lakhs per annum.

Average salary was around Rs 20,000 per month. He said that the demand for undergraduates is more in the organised sector. Lack of enough engineering skills is one of the main drawbacks with most of the BTech courses. He said to fill this gap, institutions have started B Tech courses in Food Engineering. However, none of the institutions in AP have started BTech in Food Engineering, even though State tops the share of employment in Food Processing.

Ravindranath said that there are 60 seats in food engineering. The students should pass 10+2 with minimum 50 per cent marks in physics, chemistry, and mathematics as main subjects and the course duration is four years. He said that there is vast importance to the course with good employment potentials.