Two-day OTAI meet starts

Kolkata: The 80th Annual Convention and International Conference of the Oil Technologists’ Association of India (OTAI) opened on Saturday at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, bringing together participants from industry, academia and policy to examine emerging sustainable process technologies and products in fats, oils, food, and allied industries.

Jadavpur University V-C Chiranjib Bhattacharya, chief guest, addressed the inaugural session. B P Manchanda, president of OTAI (East Zone); Rajeev Churi, national president; S K Roy, former national president; and former IAS officer S K Pattanayak also spoke.

The Prof J G Kane Memorial Award was presented during the programme. Ranjana Das, conference convenor and associate professor of chemical engineering at JU, delivered the vote of thanks.

The two-day event includes a keynote lecture by IIT Kharagpur professor Ramkrishna Sen on biorefinery technology for biofuels and biorenewables using algal and yeast biomass and oil, as well as a panel discussion on academia–industry interaction in the Malaysian Palm Oil Council session. Dedicated poster and oral presentation sessions will highlight new research in oil technologies.

Organisers said this year’s convention aims to address challenges arising from changing consumer expectations and regulatory standards—food safety, authenticity, resource efficiency and sustainability in processing. They added that invited speakers, industry representatives, and more than 100 delegates will review advances in green chemistry, biotechnological solutions and circular economy strategies, linking technological progress with responsible manufacturing and public health. Mpost