Bengal's Food Processing Industry to Receive Rs 1,200 Crore Subsidy Under PLI Scheme

Kolkata, Mar 11 (KNN) Bengal's food processing industry has committed an investment of Rs 181 crore under the Centre's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.

If this investment meets all stipulated conditions, the central government will provide a subsidy of Rs 1,200 crore over five years to bolster the state's food processing sector.

The announcement was made by Subrata Gupta, Union Secretary in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, during an industry interaction event organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata on Monday.

Gupta highlighted the Centre’s initiative to boost the food processing industry nationwide. "The central ministry has allocated Rs 11,000 crore under the PLI scheme for the food processing sector across the country. While our production capacity is immense, the processing capacity needs to be enhanced.

Strengthening food processing can significantly reduce wastage of vegetables and fruits. Our ministry has launched multiple initiatives, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana, which provides infrastructure support such as cold storage, processing units, and food testing laboratories," Gupta stated.

Currently, various private sector food processing projects in Bengal amount to Rs 900 crore. The Centre has committed Rs 250 crore in subsidies for these projects, of which Rs 190 crore has already been disbursed.

Additionally, the state’s food processing sector joined the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PMFME) scheme last year.

D Praveen, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, noted that so far, 140 micro-entrepreneurs in Bengal have received financial assistance under this initiative.

"More than 1,800 self-help group (SHG) members in the state have also been provided seed capital through this scheme," Praveen added.

The Centre’s continued support through subsidies and infrastructural assistance aims to accelerate Bengal’s food processing industry, promoting sustainable growth and reducing post-harvest losses in the sector.

(KNN Bureau)