Process for the production of thermally modified starch comprising the steps of mixing starch in powder form having a specific moisture content with an alkaline water solution to obtain a wet powder; feeding a continuous flow of said wet powder into a continuous dryer together with a continuous flow of hot air; discharging a continuous flow of dried powder from said continuous drier; supplying said continuous flow of said dried powder into a turbo-reactor, in which the inner wall of said turbo-reactor is maintained at a specific temperature; converting said dried powder into a thermally inhibited starch; and discharging said thermally inhibited starch from said turbo-reactor; it is also disclosed a thermally inhibited starch obtained from the aforementioned process with enhanced physical chemical properties.