National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli
NIFTEM-K is a Government of India higher-education and research institute specializing in food technology, food processing, entrepreneurship, and agribusiness management.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli, commonly known as NIFTEM-K, is a public higher-education and research institution in the Kundli industrial area of Sonipat, Haryana. It operates under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries of the Government of India and was created to strengthen national capabilities in food science, food processing, food safety, food supply chains, entrepreneurship, and industry-oriented management education. The institute was first announced in the 2006–07 Union Budget, but became operationally visible with its inauguration in 2012. It was developed on a large campus in Kundli and was intended to combine academic teaching with applied research, technology transfer, product development, testing, incubation, and support for food-sector enterprises. Its institutional role is therefore broader than that of a conventional university department: it serves students, researchers, entrepreneurs, food manufacturers, government agencies, and other organizations involved in the food and agribusiness ecosystem. NIFTEM-K initially offered Bachelor of Technology education and expanded its academic portfolio with Master of Technology programmes from the 2012–13 academic year and doctoral education from 2013–14. Its academic scope subsequently broadened to include food science, food engineering, agriculture and environmental science, interdisciplinary sciences, food business management, entrepreneurship development, and related management disciplines. Programmes described in institutional and reference material include B.Tech., BBA Honours, M.Tech., M.Sc., MBA, Executive MBA, integrated technical-management study, and Ph.D. education. Undergraduate and postgraduate admissions use national-level mechanisms such as JEE Main and GATE, together with institutional selection requirements where applicable. A major part of the institute’s value proposition is the connection between technical food education and commercialization. In 2018, four incubation centres and a food-testing laboratory were inaugurated, creating facilities for product testing, process development, experimentation, and support for entrepreneurs and businesses. These facilities complement the institute’s teaching and research functions by helping translate laboratory and engineering work into food products, production methods, quality systems, and business opportunities. The institute also undertakes applied nutrition and food research. One reported project examined ways to improve the taste and nutritional characteristics of Amrutham Nutrimix, a dietary supplement distributed by the Kerala government for young children. NIFTEM-K later entered into an arrangement related to the proposed Kerala Nutrition Research Centre, with an emphasis on nutrition research concerning women and children. In 2021, legislation granted NIFTEM-K Institute of National Importance status, alongside the NIFTEM institution at Thanjavur. This status strengthened the institute’s statutory and academic standing and provided a framework for greater institutional autonomy. Its first convocation, held in February 2018, was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind. NIFTEM-K’s identity is consequently anchored in public education, national food-system capacity building, industry engagement, and research-led entrepreneurship rather than in consumer retail branding.
History
NIFTEM-K originated as a national food-technology institution proposed by the Government of India. The project was announced in the 2006–07 Union Budget speech by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. Its purpose was to build a specialized institution capable of linking food-science education, technology development, food processing, entrepreneurship, and industrial application. The institute was inaugurated in 2012 by Sharad Pawar, then associated with the Union ministries responsible for agriculture, consumer affairs, food, and public distribution. It was established at Kundli in Sonipat district, Haryana, in an industrial-area setting intended to support links with food businesses and processing activity. The planned campus covered approximately 100 acres. The project was backed by a substantial public investment, although the precise financial figure is not repeated here because the reported amount is presented in historical and inflation-adjusted terms in reference material. NIFTEM-K began with Bachelor of Technology education in food technology and management. It added Master of Technology programmes from the 2012–13 academic year and introduced Ph.D. education in 2013–14. The institution’s academic model emphasized both technical competence and managerial understanding, reflecting the needs of a food sector that requires expertise in processing, quality, safety, engineering, supply chains, business, and entrepreneurship. The institute reached an important public milestone with its first convocation in February 2018. The event was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind. The same year, four incubation centres and a food-testing laboratory were inaugurated. These facilities expanded NIFTEM-K’s role beyond classroom instruction by giving entrepreneurs and food companies access to environments for product formulation, process experimentation, testing, and development. Its research activity has included nutrition and public-food-programme concerns. In 2019, NIFTEM-K was reported to have studied ways to improve the taste and nutritional value of Amrutham Nutrimix, a supplement distributed in Kerala for children under three. The institute also entered into an MoU associated with the proposed Kerala Nutrition Research Centre, intended to focus on women’s and children’s nutrition. NIFTEM-K’s statutory position changed through the National Institutes of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management legislation. The bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in February 2019. The Rajya Sabha passed it on 15 March 2021, and the Lok Sabha passed it on 26 July 2021. The resulting framework granted Institute of National Importance status to NIFTEM-K and the institute at Thanjavur, giving both institutions a stronger legal foundation and greater academic and financial autonomy. The institute now presents itself as a multidisciplinary food-sector institution. Its departments cover Food Science and Technology, Food Engineering, Agriculture and Environmental Science, Interdisciplinary Sciences, and Food Business Management and Entrepreneurship Development. Its educational portfolio includes undergraduate, postgraduate, executive, integrated, and doctoral pathways, while its research and incubation functions support food processing, food safety, nutrition, product innovation, and commercialization. A National Institutional Ranking Framework reference placed NIFTEM-K at 127 in the 2022 engineering category. Its continuing institutional mission is to develop skilled personnel, generate applied knowledge, support entrepreneurs, and improve India’s food-processing and food-technology capabilities.
- 2022
NIRF engineering ranking recorded
[1]NIFTEM-K was listed at rank 127 in the 2022 NIRF engineering ranking.
- 2021
Institute of National Importance status granted
[1]Parliament approved the legislation, granting NIFTEM-K Institute of National Importance status.
- 2019
National Institutes of Food Technology bill introduced
[1]Legislation seeking Institute of National Importance status for NIFTEM-K and the Thanjavur institute was introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
- 2018
First convocation held
[1]NIFTEM-K held its first convocation in February, with President Ram Nath Kovind reported as an attendee.
- 2018
Incubation and testing infrastructure opened
[1]Four incubation centres and a food-testing laboratory were inaugurated to support product development and industry engagement.
- 2013
Doctoral programme added
[1]Ph.D. education was added from the 2013–14 academic year.
- 2012
NIFTEM-K inaugurated at Kundli
[1]The institute was inaugurated at Kundli in Sonipat, Haryana, and began its institutional development and academic operations.
- 2012
Master of Technology education begins
[1]M.Tech. programmes began from the 2012–13 academic year.
- 2006
Institution announced in Union Budget
[1]The proposed national food-technology institute was announced in the 2006–07 Union Budget speech.
Products and positioning
A public, research-led national institute connecting food-technology education with food processing, entrepreneurship, testing, innovation, and agribusiness management.
Undergraduate degree
B.Tech. in Food Technology and Management
A four-year undergraduate programme combining food engineering and technology with management-oriented education. Admission is associated with the Joint Entrance Examination Main route, and the curriculum is designed to prepare students for technical and managerial roles in food processing and allied industries.
Postgraduate degree · 2012
M.Tech. programmes
Two-year postgraduate programmes covering Food Technology and Management, Food Plant Operations Management, Food Safety and Quality Management, Food Supply Chain Management, and Food Process Engineering and Management. Admission is based on GATE and an institutional interview process.
Management degree
MBA in Food and Agribusiness Management
A two-year management programme focused on the commercial, operational, and strategic issues of food and agribusiness. Reference material identifies marketing, finance, or international business as possible secondary areas of specialization.
Undergraduate degree
BBA Honours in Data and Business Analytics
A four-year honours programme emphasizing analytical and data-driven business capabilities for food, agribusiness, and related management contexts.
Postgraduate degree
M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology
A two-year science programme centered on food safety, laboratory analysis, product innovation, food science, and research methods.
Doctoral research · 2013
Ph.D. programmes
Doctoral research is conducted across areas associated with the institute’s core departments, including food science and technology, food engineering, agriculture and environmental science, interdisciplinary sciences, and food business management and entrepreneurship development.
Research and industry-support facility · 2018
Incubation centres and food-testing laboratory
Facilities inaugurated in 2018 to support entrepreneurs and food businesses with product testing, process development, experimentation, and related technical assistance.
Brand decisions
2021
Transition to Institute of National Importance statusStrategyBackground
The Government of India introduced legislation to give NIFTEM-K and the NIFTEM institution at Thanjavur a stronger statutory position and greater academic and financial autonomy.
Action taken
The bill passed the Rajya Sabha on 15 March 2021 and the Lok Sabha on 26 July 2021, resulting in Institute of National Importance status.
Aftermath
NIFTEM-K became part of the national Institutes of National Importance framework and continued operating as a specialized public food-technology institution.
Sources2 sources
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