In a major push to transform India’s food processing sector, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has approved over 1.45 lakh projects under multiple schemes, with a strong focus on infrastructure development, value addition, and farmer support.
Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on August 1, informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), 1,134 projects have been approved across the country till June 30, 2025. This includes 41 Mega Food Parks and 395 Cold Chain projects.
Under the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme, 1,44,517 proposals have been approved, while 170 proposals have been sanctioned under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI).
These schemes aim to increase preservation and processing capacities, reduce post-harvest losses, promote value-added products, encourage adoption of innovative technologies, and support job creation and entrepreneurship, especially in rural areas.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, 261 proposals have been approved under the PMFME scheme till June 30, 2025. The district has also been identified for a Banana Cluster under the Operation Greens component of PMKSY, and banana has been designated as the One District One Product (ODOP) under the PMFME scheme.
MoFPI is providing financial assistance in the form of grants-in-aid and subsidies to support the establishment of food processing infrastructure, including cold chain systems, temperature-controlled transport, controlled atmosphere storage, frozen storage, and irradiation facilities. These developments aim to increase the shelf life of produce, minimize post-harvest losses, and help farmers receive better returns.
To promote India’s presence in global food markets, PLISFPI scheme is being implemented over a six-year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27 with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore. Additionally, the ministry has organized three editions of World Food India in 2017, 2023, and 2024 to facilitate investment and partnerships by bringing together global food processing stakeholders and innovators.
