Necessity is the mother of all inventions and innovations
Nitte University Technology Enabling Centre (DST NU-TEC) is one among the 10 centres established at the national level. DST has provided the support for setting up state-of-art networking equipment and infrastructural facilities to the centre.
DST-NUTEC supported the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), in organizing a training program on production practices and post-harvest handling techniques for exotic fruits such as Rambutan, Avocado, Mangosteen, dragon fruit, and longan on 14 July 2026 at the Ajantha Business Centre, Mangaluru. Mr. Adeeth Kalbavi, Director of Kalbavi Consumer Foods Pvt Ltd., Convenor of Agro-Food Panel of CII welcomed the gathering. Mr. Abhinav Bansal, the chairperson of the CII Mangalore district council, introduced CII and explained how CII acts as a point of contact for about 75 individuals, 15 institutes, and numerous associations that are part of the confederation Dr. Iddya Karunasagar, introduced Nitte DST-TEC to the participants and mentioned its role in finding science based solutions to problems in different sectors and enabling technology development and deployment. He also introduced the resource persons, Dr B. M. Muralidhara, Senior Scientist (Fruit Science) and I/C Head, Central Horticultural Experiment Station (CHES), Chettalli, Kodagu, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR_ IIHR), Bangalore, and Dr. S. Vijay Rakesh Reddy, Senior Scientist, Division of Post-Harvest Technology & Agricultural Engineering, ICAR- IIHR, Bengaluru to the gathering. Dr. Muralidhara, in his talk on ‘Production Challenges and Scientific Management Practices in Exotic Fruit Cultivation,’ discussed exotic fruits such as rambutan, dragon fruit, mangosteen, avocado, and longan. He explained about different varieties of these fruits as well as advantages and constraints with these varieties. He spoke about canopy management, spacing and use of soil testing to manage nutrients and fertilization. This session particularly focused on good agriculture practice techniques, including growth, fruit bearing, preventing diseases and managing bird problem. He also spoke about various diseases that affect fruit yield and quality, and suggested possible treatments for each. Throughout the lecture, the farmers raised many queries and Dr. Muralidhar provided solutions based on experience in IIHR farms. Dr. Rakesh Reddy’s talk was on ‘Postharvest handling, packaging and transportation of exotic fruits for quality and shelf-life management’. He mainly focused on harvesting practices, including maturity indices, harvesting methods, processing operations, and storage conditions, to extend the shelf life of harvested fruits. He also mentioned various challenges that farmers could face if proper post-harvesting measures are not applied, which directly affect profitability. He also stressed that cultivators should show greater interest in processing and value addition of exotic fruits and their products, as yields can be seasonal, and that the yield should be used to the fullest. Mr. Ananthesh V Prabhu, Vice Chair- CII Mangalore and Managing Partner of Aruna Industries, Mr. Nataraj Hegde, Ex-chair of the CII Mangalore division, also attended the event along with farmers from various organizations like Atharv Farms, Inna Karavali FPC, Ltd, Bantwala Farmers group, Miks Life Sciences, Fyndo, Shoolin Estate, Anathanam Plantation, Sanoor Cashews, Walden Farms, Twinkle Agro Farms, Krithika Exotics, Soans Farms, Sediyapu Agro Farms. A total of 32 participants attended the event.
Last updated: 2026-07-16 05:14:34
DST TEC in association with Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER) organized a one-day workshop on the occasion of celebrating the World Safety Day 2025 on 10 June 2025 at 10.30 AM in the University auditorium, Paneer Campus. The theme for this year’s food safety day was Food Safety: Science in Action. Dr Anirban Chakraborty, Director, NUCSER, gave the welcome address and introduced the speakers of the workshop to the gathering. Dr Iddya Karunasagar, Rtd FAO Senior Officer, Advisor-Research and Patents, Nitte (DU), spoke on the scientific basis for international food safety standards. He explained about the scientific risk assessment reports produced by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committees – Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), Joint Expert Meeting on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA), Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). These risk assessments form the basis of science based food safety standards set by Codex Alimentarius Commission. He also explained about microbiological sampling plans and compliance testing. Dr S B Barbuddhe, Director, ICAR- National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad, enlightened the gathering on the present contours and future scope for advancement in food safety. He highlighted the importance of Listeria monocytogens as a foodborne pathogen and about the repository and culture collection of foodborne pathogens being maintained at ICAR-NMRI. He also explained about problems of food authenticity and the technology for detecting any mislabeled food. Dr Indrani Karunasagar, Director- DST TEC and Projects, Nitte (DU), addressed the attendees about the safety of water in food production and processing. She explained about the need for fit for purpose water to be made available to primary producers like agricultural fields, fishing boats and fish landing centers. She explained about harmful algal blooms and toxins produced by them that may impact food safety. Her presentation included concepts of food adulteration and food contamination, and ways to minimize or mitigate them. Following the lectures by the experts, a quiz contest on the topics related to food safety was conducted by Dr Prithvisagar K.S., Project Associate, DST TEC, through the Mentimeter platform. The top 10 performers were awarded prizes for their achievements. About 110 participants, including industry representatives from CAMPCO, Kanara Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dakshin Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union, and students and staff from St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) and St Agnes College, Nitte Usha Institute of Nursing Science, K S Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte Institute of Professional Education, Nitte University Center for Science Education and Research, Nitte- GoK-COE AQUAMARIN, and attended the workshop. Winners of the Quiz contest: 1. Mr Reddappa KN, Dakshina Kannada Co-Operative Milk Producers Union 2. Ms Dhanyashree Rai, NUCSER 3. Ms Saisree Iyer, NUCSER 4. Dr Akshatha K, NUCSER 5. Dr Nithin M S, Nitte- GoK-COE AQUAMARIN, 6. Ms Sneha Titus, St Aloysius (Deemed to be University) 7. Dr Krishna Kumar B, NUCSER 8. Ms Mahima, St Agnes College (Autonomous) 9. Ms Vanessa Fernandes, NUCSER 10. Mr Anil Kumar SN, Dakshina Kannada Co-Operative Milk Producers Union
Last updated: 2025-06-24 05:35:25
FAO Reference Centre for AMR & Aquaculture Biosecurity, Nitte (Deemed to be University) in association with Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) and DST-Technology Enabling Centre organised a webinar to commemorate World Food Day 2026 on Friday, October 16, 2026 at 2.30 pm (IST). The opening remarks for the webinar was delivered by Dr Konda Reddy Chavva, FAO Representative to India who briefed about role of FAO in ensuring food safety and also applauded the contributions of FAO Reference Centre, Nitte University towards research in AMR, Food safety and aquaculture. The webinar featured an eminent international speaker, Dr. Patrick Gerard Wall, former Chair of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Emeritus Professor at the School of Public Health, University College Dublin, Ireland. He delivered a lecture on the theme “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” highlighting the importance of innovation in strengthening food safety, improving food systems and ensuring sustainable food security. He highlighted the challenges faced by agrifood sector such as climate change, pests and diseases, and postharvest losses and emphasised the importance of innovation in building resilient and sustainable food systems to meet emerging global challenges. Responsible production and consumption can be strengthened based on application of science and innovation. But he highlighted the need to make innovation and technology available to small producers. He highlighted the need to understand nutritional requirements at different stages of life and use nutritional approach to manage emerging health problems. He cited examples where supplementation of midday meal with egg drastically improved protein malnutrition in children. The session also underscored the need for collaborative efforts among researchers, academic institutions, policymakers and industry stakeholders to advance food safety and public health. Prof. Iddya Karunasagar, Advisor, FAO Reference Centre, Research & Patents, Nitte (Deemed to be University), introduced the speaker and welcomed the attendees. He highlighted the significance of the webinar in fostering scientific awareness and encouraging meaningful discussions on food safety and sustainability. Prof. Indrani Karunasagar, Head, FAO Reference Centre, Director- Projects & DST NUTEC, highlighted the significance of World Food Day and the need for continued efforts towards ensuring safe, nutritious and sustainable food for all. She delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to the speaker and participants for contributing to the success of the webinar. Over 220 participants, including faculty members and students from various central research institutes, universities and industries, registered for the webinar. The programme provided an opportunity for participants to engage with an internationally recognised expert and reflect on the role of scientific innovation, public health and collaborative research in addressing contemporary food-related challenges. The webinar concluded with a renewed emphasis on the importance of innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and responsible scientific practices in shaping a safer and more sustainable agri-food sector.
Last updated: 2026-10-25 02:38:11
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Committee Members
"I am happy to note that DST-Technology Enabling Center of Nitte University is launching a website to communicate with stakeholders. I hope the website will be useful to academia, industry, startups, entrepreneurs and others interested in technologies. I also hope that the website will facilitate academic and industry networking leading to the development of technologies that are useful for the society."
"It is gratifying to know that the DST-Technology Enabling Centre at NUCSER, in spite of COVID-19, is carrying out noteworthy research bringing together technologists, medical and engineering scientists to develop biomedical devices and food processing ventures which is the need of the hour. Congratulations. May God bless you and your team in all your endeavors."
"Institutional networking is the key to create an enabling environment for translational research and technology development. I wish the DST Technology Enabling Centre at the Nitte (Deemed to be University), Paneer campus all the best in their endeavours to bring educational institutions and industries together to facilitate development of innovative solutions that can benefit society at large."
"Nitte (Deemed to be University) is proud to host the DST-Technology Enabling Center that is intended to network with institutions and industries to facilitate translation of research findings to viable technologies. I am confident that the DST NU-TEC at Nitte will strive hard to go beyond the set targets in the activities and communicate effectively with all partners"
"The DST- Technology Enabling Centre has a place of pride among the many innovative centres of excellence established in our university. The DST NU-TEC will be a translational innovation centre for providing solutions that address market requirements. I wish that NU-TEC emerges as a one-stop centre for providing business solutions for the Indian industry by stimulating innovation and effective technology enablement."
"DST NU-TEC facilitates our stride towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. Academia is the prime source for the generation of new knowledge and its conversion to wealth and NU-TEC envisages an effective institutional mechanism for translation of the R&D output of the region into technological wealth. I wish all the very best to the dynamic and enterprising staff members who are taking forward this exciting new venture."
