Rs 1,726 crore incentive released under food processing PLI, 1.44 lakh micro units supported

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) A total of Rs 1,726.60 crore has been released as incentives under the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) till June, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

The scheme has led to an increase in food processing capacity of 35.00 lakh MT per annum in the country. A total number of about 3.39 lakh jobs, both direct and indirect employment, have been generated so far under the PLISFPI, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh, said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

A total of 278 food processing units of 170 applicants have been approved under various categories of the PLISFPI across the country.

The incentives under the PLISFPI are admissible where the entire chain of manufacturing processes, including primary processing of the food products applied for coverage under the scheme, takes place in India.

"Total export of agricultural processed food products of the applicants approved under PLISFPI has increased with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.23 per cent as on 2024-25 with reference to 2019-20. The scheme does not cover floricultural production," the minister said.

Credit-linked capital subsidy at 35 per cent of the eligible project cost, with a maximum ceiling of Rs 10 lakh per unit, is provided to individual micro enterprises under the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme.

"A total of 1,44,517 micro food processing enterprises have been approved for assistance under PMFME across the country till June 30, 2025," said Singh.

Under the capacity building component of the PMFME Scheme, the ministry provides assistance for training of trainers, District Resource Persons, entrepreneurs and various other groups for Entrepreneurship Development Skilling (EDP+) and product-specific skilling to meet the requirements of the food processing industry.

So far, 1,16,666 beneficiaries have been trained across the country under the PMFME scheme.

In Bihar, the ministry has approved 13 food processing projects under Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), seven proposals under Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI) and 25,349 proposals under PMFME till June 30.

--IANS

na/vd