CFTRI became a reality (as a constituent institute of CSIR and its third national laboratory) thanks to the vision and endeavours of its founders and a network of dedicated scientists who had a passion to pursue in-depth scientific research into one of the most fundamental aspects of human life. With over 75% of the population occupied in food raising, and no facilities to benefit from post-harvest technology till then, India hailed the birth of CFTRI and started to look at it with great expectations.