New Delhi: India’s smart protein industry is facing a shortage of job-ready talent, even though the country produces nearly 250,000 biotechnology, food technology and engineering graduates every year, a new study has found.
The report was released by the Good Food Institute India on Wednesday. It highlights a growing mismatch between academic training and the practical skills needed in the smart protein sector.
According to the study, companies working in plant-based foods, cultivated meat and fermentation technologies are struggling to hire trained professionals. The biggest gaps are in bioprocessing, cell culture, extrusion technologies, analytical methods, and food safety and regulatory pathways.
The research, conducted with support from Idoboro Impact Solutions, mapped technical skill gaps across plant-based, cultivated meat and fermentation value chains.
The report says Indian institutions provide strong theoretical foundations in core sciences. However, students often lack hands-on experience. It also notes that smart protein-specific courses are largely missing from current curricula, limiting the industry’s ability to scale.
The findings come at a time when India’s smart protein ecosystem is expanding, supported by enabling policies and a growing base of research and startups. But the study warns that without targeted action in education and skilling, talent shortages could slow growth.
“India has a strong foundation of scientific talent, but translating this potential into a future-ready smart protein workforce requires deliberate, coordinated action,” said Sneha Singh, Managing Director, GFI India.
“Our analysis shows that curriculum innovation, deeper industry-academia collaboration, and hands-on training are essential to ensure graduates are equipped with the practical skills the sector needs to scale sustainably and competitively,” she added.
The organisation has recommended adding smart protein electives and value-added courses under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework. It has also called for stronger industry-academia partnerships through internships, certificate courses, workshops and co-supervised projects.
Another key suggestion is the creation of a national, government-backed consortium to coordinate upskilling efforts and develop regional training hubs.
GFI India said aligning education, training and industry needs will be crucial for India to become a global hub for smart protein innovation, while also supporting food security, sustainability and economic growth.
Source: Satyam Tripathi, ON PURPOSE Communications
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