Bengali sweet maker in talks with IIT to go hi-tech

Kolkata, Aug 5 : City-based sweets manufacturer Hindustan Sweets are in talks with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kharagpur for developing a fully automated sweetmeat manufacturing process.

The company will also introduce a customised automatic machine from Korea to manufacture Bengal's famed sweets including the delectable rasgulla - cottage cheese balls immersed in dense sugar syrup,

"We are in talks with IIT-Kharagpur for introducing a fully-automatic rasgulla manufacturing process," Hindusthan Sweets director Rabindra Kumar Paul told IANS.

"We have already set up a machine, which would take care of nearly 85 percent of the manufacturing process including kneading, cutting and sizing. This is a small step but a giant leap for the Bengali sweet dish industry."

Paul said his company was also planning to set up a 50,000 square feet automated sweet manufacturing facility in the city by 2009-end on an investment of Rs.250 million.

He said post-automation, daily production would increase to 200,000 sweets from 10,000 currently.

"We are also gearing up to modernise our operations and target institutional selling of sweetmeats to the railways, airlines and hotel industry," Paul said.

"Automation would go a long way in convincing people in the developed world about our hygienic manufacturing process, and will help in marketing the products abroad," Paul said.