Team from Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), India, visited NIFTEM-K to explore collaboration opportunities
New Delhi: On August 21, 2024, a team from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), India office, New Delhi, visited NIFTEM-K to explore collaboration opportunities in research, projects, and strategies to upscale staple food fortification as a means to combat malnutrition. The meeting brought together key officials from both organizations, including Dr. Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian (Country Director, India), Dr. Supreet Kaur (Head, Policy, Programs and External Relations), Ms. Ruchi Sareen (Project Manager – Large Scale Food Fortification), and Ms. Nikita Goel (Project Manager – Digitization & Fortification) from GAIN, alongside Prof. Komal Chauhan (Dean, Research and Outreach), Mr. Arun Om Lal (Industry Chair Professor), Dr. Onkar Babar, Dr. Sonia Mann, and Dr. Sonal Gupta Jain from NIFTEM-K.
The primary focus of the meeting was to identify avenues for collaboration between GAIN and NIFTEM-K, particularly in capacity building and strengthening academia-industry linkages for advancing food fortification research. The GAIN team visited the facilities of the Center of Excellence for Food Fortification (CEFF) and the Centre for Food Research and Analysis (CFRA). They were impressed by the infrastructure, the practical demonstrations of the fortification units by the CEFF team, and the high standards of the food testing lab.
Additionally, the GAIN team met with Dr. Harinder Singh Oberoi, Director of NIFTEM-K, to discuss ongoing research activities and future initiatives between the two organizations. The discussions highlighted the importance of continued collaboration, laying a strong foundation for future joint research efforts.
This visit marked a productive exchange of knowledge and set the stage for a robust partnership between GAIN and NIFTEM-K. Both organizations are now well-positioned to collaborate in addressing key challenges in food fortification, with the shared goal of benefiting stakeholders in the food industry and contributing to the fight against malnutrition.