'10pc growth needs big push from food sector'

New Delhi, Apr 29: India's efforts to have a sustained industrial growth of 10 per cent hinge on steady growth of food processing industry, billed as the sunrise industry of the next decade, according to Dr Ajay Dua, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Sketching the enormous growth potential of the industry, he said marketing of processed food products is now confined only to 200 cities, whereas it has potential of being marketed in over 8,000 Tier II and III cities.

Referring to the concept of food parks, Dr Dua said the retail revolution taking place in the country will catalyse the sector.

''It would be desirable to look at the policy of development of food parks by the state governments in the framework of a public-private partnership through well-crafted incentives to create an enabling situation for the sector to build new capacities and sustain that,'' he said in an interaction with members of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).

Dr Dua said sustaining plus 10 per cent industrial growth rate would be a challenging task and required addressing issues such as development of infrastructure, skill set, technology upgradation and development.

Calling for a proactive skill development policy to build and consolidate on India's demographic advantage, he said such schemes should have active participation of the stakeholders like the industry, against the backdrop that some of the sectors have already been facing shortages of skilled manpower.

''Revamping the education policy to induct higher degree of vocational training would help in augmenting availability of skilled manpower. There is also need to upgrade the skills of the existing workers by exposing them to efficient and newer production techniques,'' Dr Dua added.

Greater private-public partnership, recasting syllabi of vocational training to enhance employability, setting up appropriate regulatory mechanisms under various Ministries to ensure quality and standardisation of training, were some of the other points presented by him.

UNI