CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST) and Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) have partnered to establish the Centre of Excellence for Food Fortification Innovation, Research and Training (CEFIRT) at the CSIR-NIIST Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (ITE) Hub at Bio 360 Life Sciences Park, Thonnakkal, Thiruvananthapuram.
The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding exchanged during the 85th CSIR Foundation Day celebrations in New Delhi on September 25, 2026, in the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh and CSIR Director General Dr N Kalaiselvi. TCPL President – RTD Business Partha Biswas also attended the event.
CEFIRT will focus on developing fortification technologies for staple foods including grains, salt, milk and edible oils, besides protein-enriched, functional and specialised nutrition products. The centre will provide capabilities for characterisation, quality assurance, nutrient stability and bioavailability assessment, while supporting R&D, analytical testing, validation, scale-up, technology transfer and commercialisation.
In Guwahati, the initiative could support growing consumer interest in nutrition-focused food products and create opportunities for fortified staples and value-added food categories across Assam and the wider Northeast.
The centre builds on the CSIR-NIIST ITE Hub inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 23, 2026. CSIR-NIIST Director Dr C Anandharamakrishnan and TCPL Global Chief R&D Officer Vikas Gupta underlined the role of industry-academia collaboration in developing scalable food fortification solutions.
