ENA State 2025-03-11 15:00:01 <p><span style="font-size:14px"><strong>Kolkata, Mar 11 (KNN)</strong> Bengal's food processing industry has committed an investment of Rs 181 crore under the Centre's production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Gupta highlighted the Centres 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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">Additionally, the states food processing sector joined the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises (PMFME) scheme last year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px"> More than 1,800 self-help group (SHG) members in the state have also been provided seed capital through this scheme, Praveen added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:14px">The Centres continued support through subsidies and infrastructural assistance aims to accelerate Bengals food processing industry, promoting sustainable growth and reducing post-harvest losses in the sector.</span></p> <p><em><strong><span style="font-size:14px">(KNN Bureau)</span></strong></em></p> 41361 https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/state/bengals-food-processing-industry-to-receive-rs-1200-crore-subsidy-under-pli-scheme 2025-03-11 15:00:01 knnindia.co.in