Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology

The Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (Formerly Paddy Processing Research Centre) is a pioneer Research and Development Institute under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. The Institute has its origin way back in 1967 when it was started as R & D laboratory in the Modern Rice Mill complex of Thanjavur Co-operative Marketing Federation (TCMF) at Tiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India under the dedicated leadership and the able guidance of late Dr. V. Subrahmanyan. an eminent scientist and founder Director, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore. The mandate of the Institute at its inception was to seek solutions for preserving high moisture paddy because the paddy harvest season in Southern India coincided with the tail end of the South West monsoon. The Institute was later upgraded as a national laboratory with the name Paddy Processing Research Centre (PPRC) in 1972. At the time of up-gradation the mandates of the Institute were also changed and the scientists in the Institute focused their research in identifying technologies for post harvest procession and preservation of paddy. The Institute was moved to it current location at Thanjavur in 1984. Considering the vital importance of strengthening R & D efforts in the post-harvest processing, preservation and value addition of raw agricultural produce, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) strengthened and upgraded the PPRC as a National Institute in February 2008 and was called as Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT).

The Institute is located at Thanjavur, the ancient capital of Chola Kingdom and the granary of Tamil Nadu. The IICPT with its modern laboratories equipped with hi-tech instruments, is engaged in the R&D of food grain processing, value addition, by-product utilization through bio-processing, process and product development. Our Food Testing Laboratory is NABL accredited. We have a hi-tech and cottage level food processing incubation cum training center. Hands-on-training on different food processing technologies, renting facilities and other supports are offered all thought the year to help the entrepreneurs to put in their innovative ideas for the development of new products. IICPT also offers B.Tech., M.Tech. and Ph.D. programs in Food Process Engineering.