Industries embracing tech to meet growing consumer demand

Mysuru: Industrialist A Apparao said that industries are increasingly looking for innovative technologies to meet the ever-growing demands of consumers.

He was speaking at the National Technology Day 2026 organised by the CSIR-CFTRI with the theme ‘Responsible Innovation for Inclusive Growth.’

Speaking on advancements in the flavour industry, Apparao said that precision and personalisation are no longer buzzwords but have become realities in the sector. He noted that flavour technology today can recreate highly complex profiles ranging from mother's milk to fish eggs.

He also highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence in decoding complex flavour profiles to ensure the authenticity of raw materials. Further, he spoke about recent advancements in identifying the ripening stages of mangoes through stripe analysis technologies.

Dr Aashitosh A Inamdar, Scientist-G and head, TTBD, briefed about the significance of National Technology Day and presented an overview of CFTRI's industry engagements during 2025-26.

CFTRI director Giridhar Parvatam said that technology transfer acts as a transformational process for industries by helping understand and address their requirements effectively. He emphasised that CFTRI continues to extend support to industries through sponsored projects and consultancy services.

Giridhar stressed that R&D works that could not progress beyond certain Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) should be revisited on priority, as they could open up new dimensions in research and innovation.