The Centre’s production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for food processing has significantly boosted the sector by securing investments worth Rs 7,000 crore and generating more than 2.5 lakh jobs to date. These figures were shared by Ranjit Singh, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), during his address at the FICCI-organised ‘Foodworld India’ event held in New Delhi.
According to Singh, nearly 1,600 projects have received funding under the ministry’s initiatives, leading to the establishment of 41 lakh tonnes of food processing capacity across the country. This effort has positively impacted close to nine lakh farmers, reported IANS.
Food processing, Singh noted, is not only critical for enhancing agricultural value but also serves as a key driver for reducing post-harvest losses, enabling diversification, and creating surplus for exports.
He further emphasised that improving infrastructure related to food processing—such as packaging, storage, and distribution—is essential to elevate the quality of Indian products to meet both domestic and global standards. “Therefore, to realise its potential, we must continue to upgrade processing, packaging, storage and distribution, so that we’re able to meet both domestic and international standards,” he added.
The MoFPI has been steering several schemes to foster growth in the sector. Among them is the Kisan Sampada Yojana, an umbrella initiative aimed at developing cold chains, agro-processing clusters, food testing laboratories, and supporting research and development.
Additionally, the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme is also being actively implemented. Designed to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure growth, the PMFME scheme has provided credit-linked subsidies and infrastructure support to nearly two lakh micro enterprises over the last five years.
Singh pointed out that these government schemes are not only bolstering infrastructure but also helping scale up micro businesses, many of which have evolved into medium-sized enterprises.
