Rourkela, Oct 16: With a mission to promote sustainable and equitable food systems, the Department of Food Process Engineering at NIT Rourkela, in collaboration with AFSTI (Rourkela Chapter) and the Food Tech Society under SAC, celebrated World Food Day 2025 on October 16, officials said.

The event, themed “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future”, brought together experts, researchers, and students to discuss innovative approaches to food security and sustainability.

Inaugural Ceremony and Keynote Insights

The event began at the TIIR Auditorium with a welcome address by Prof. Rama Chandra Pradhan. Chief Guest Prof. H. N. Mishra, Emeritus Professor at IIT Kharagpur, emphasized the urgent need to address global hunger and food insecurity.

“Nearly 700 million people still go to bed hungry. We must enhance productivity, protect soil health, and support local farmers,” he said.

Guest of Honour Mr. Pratap Swain, Head of Global R&D at Parle Biscuits, highlighted the challenges of rising raw material costs and stressed the importance of innovation and collaboration between academia and industry to build resilient food value chains.

Focus on Reducing Food Waste

Prof. Sabyasachi Mishra, Head of the Department, underscored the need to reduce food wastage, which accounts for 30–35% of global production losses. He called for collective action across sectors to build efficient, inclusive food systems.

Competitions and Expert Talks

The event also featured quiz and case study competitions, with prizes distributed during the ceremony. Guest lectures by Prof. Mishra and Mr. Swain explored startup opportunities and sustainable R&D in food processing.