Samriddhi 1.0 I समृद्धि I

Call for Innovation in Food Technology

Hybrid Incubation – Online & Offline

Nationwide Incubation call for Innovation in Food Technology is organized by TECHIN, IIT Palakkad, in collaboration with Symega Food Ingredients Ltd. The event seeks technological solutions at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above in the domain of Food Technology. It invites ideas and products aligned with the identified problem statements for potential incubation.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of experts, and shortlisted teams will be invited to participate in the first round of pitching. This round will assess both the technical and business potential of the proposed innovations. Selected teams from this stage will progress to the final pitching round.

Winning teams in the final round may receive incubation support and funding of up to ₹10 lakhs. The exact grant for each winning team will be determined based on the declared need of the team and the recommendations of the evaluators. Selected teams will also be offered a hybrid incubation opportunity (online & offline), ensuring flexible access to resources, mentorship, and infrastructure throughout the incubation period.

Problem statements for Samriddhi 1.0

1. Innovative food production and processing

Focuses on technologies that enhance how food is produced and processed—improving efficiency, nutrition, safety, and sustainability. Encourages solutions such as advanced processing methods and scalable models for a future-ready food ecosystem.

2. Sustainable Packaging & Preservation

Startups developing eco-friendly, biodegradable packaging solutions or smart packaging technologies that enhance shelf life and ensure food safety, including innovations in Nutri-Tech and functional foods. This theme addresses the need for sustainable packaging and preservation methods that help improve food safety, reduce spoilage, and support environmental sustainability.

3. Smart Processing, Automation & Consumer-Centric Innovation in Food Tech

This theme looks for ideas that improve food processing and supply chains using smart technology. It includes small, efficient processing units, AI tools for quality checks, and IoT for tracking food. It supports solutions that help small producers work better and meet growing demand for healthy, ethical, and easy-to-access food.

4. Food Waste Management & Circular Economy

Technologies aimed at reducing post-harvest losses, repurposing by-products, and converting food waste into value-added products such as bioplastics, bioenergy, or animal feed. This theme addresses a critical challenge in the food ecosystem, with potential to enhance sustainability, improve resource efficiency, and lower operational costs.

5. Food Safety, Quality & Nutritional Innovation

Highlight startups working on ensuring food safety, enhancing nutritional profiles, and complying with evolving standards — through traceability, contamination detection, clean-label processing, and health-focused reformulations.

Incubation Offerings:

Seed funding support
Online & Offline incubation
Technical & Business mentoring
Co-working space & Infrastructure
R&D, labs, and testing support
Access to experts – legal, financial, IP
Go-to market and outreach
Training and workshops

Last Date to Apply: 20 May 2025

Apply now

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