Bhubaneswar, March 25: The Food Craft Institute (FCI) in Orissa has bagged the National Award for excellence in hospitality education.

The institute, in the interiors of Balangir, has received this award for the second consecutive time. Established in 2004, FCI Balangir runs under the department of tourism and has been offering hospitality education and caters particularly to students belonging to the western part of the state. The institute is one of the seven FCIs in the country and has over 700 students.

“The Union Government is keen about upgrading the Food Craft Institute in Balangir into an institute of hotel management. The Centre has assured us that it will spend Rs 12 crore on infrastructure,” principal of FCI, Chandrakant Mahapatra, said.

“There was a time when cooking was purely a form of art. But now, it’s a combination of art and technology. Food production requires a lot of creativity,” said a student, Prerna.

Set up to develop skilled manpower for the hotel and tourism industry, the institute offers diploma courses in housekeeping operations, front office operations, food and beverage services and food production.

“The institute has been equipped with modern labs. A team of qualified faculty members ensure that students not only learn the intricacies of hotel operations but are also offered proper placements,” Mohapatra said.

After the six-month industrial training, students can apply for jobs at various places.