The Women’s Studies Centre of Thiagarajar College, Madurai – 09, organized an Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme on 06th January 2026, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal – 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The programme focused on enhancing women’s entrepreneurial potential through hands-on training in food processing and preservation techniques.

The first technical session consisted of a PowerPoint presentation on preservation methods of fruits and vegetables. Dr. R. Saravanakumar, Professor and Head of the Department of Human Development & Family Studies, explained various fruit preservation techniques such as sugaring, drying, bottling, canning, and the use of approved preservatives. He elaborated on the role of sugar as a natural preservative and discussed commonly used chemical preservatives such as sodium benzoate and other permitted preservatives used in fruit-based food products. The session created awareness about safe levels of preservatives, food quality standards, shelf-life enhancement, and consumer health concerns.

The second session elaborated on food preservation techniques, particularly focusing on tinned and packaged foods. The resource person explained how food products are preserved for long durations using scientific methods, hygienic processing, and approved preservatives, enabling their shelf life for several years. Dr. R. Saravanakumar, detailed explained about the marketing of these products.

The programme included an extensive practical training session, during which participants were trained in the preparation of Squash, Ready-to-Serve beverages, Jam, Sauce, and Pickle. The participants actively engaged in all stages of preparation, including ingredient selection, processing and preservation techniques.

The interactive nature of the programme allowed students to clarify their doubts related to preservatives, food safety, pricing, and marketing strategies. The participants expressed keen interest in starting small-scale food enterprises and appreciated the practical orientation of the programme.

As part of the programme, the participants also visited the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Dhal, Fruits and Vegetables Processing Incubation Centre. During the visit, the experts explained the functioning of various food processing and manufacturing machines used in dhal, fruit, and vegetable processing. The participants gained practical insights into large-scale processing techniques, quality control measures, and incubation support available for entrepreneurs.

In the concluding session, Dr. R. Saravanakumar emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship, motivated the students to initiate small-scale food enterprises, and shared valuable ideas on scaling them up into sustainable large-scale businesses. The visit served as an eye-opener for aspiring women entrepreneurs and strengthened their understanding of industry-oriented food processing practices.

The session concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr. R. Aruna, Director, Women’s Studies Centre, who expressed gratitude to the resource persons, organizers, and participants for their active involvement and valuable contributions to the success of the programme.