Bengal’s food processing industry has committed to investing Rs. 181 crores under the Centre’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. If the investment meets all specified conditions, the Centre will provide Rs. 1,200 crores in subsidies over five years to boost the state’s food processing sector.
Subrata Gupta, Secretary at the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, made this announcement recently during an industry interaction organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.
“Our production capacity is immense, but the processing capacity needs enhancement. Food processing can help reduce wastage of vegetables and fruits. The ministry has launched multiple initiatives to support businesses of all sizes. Programs like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana provide infrastructure support, including cold storage, processing units, and food testing labs,” Gupta said.
At present, private food processing projects in Bengal amount to Rs. 900 crores, for which the Centre has allocated Rs. 250 crores in subsidies. “Of this, Rs. 190 crores have already been disbursed,” Gupta added.
The state’s food processing sector joined the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Enterprises (PMFME) scheme last year. So far, 140 micro-entrepreneurs have received financial assistance under the scheme, said D. Praveen, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Additionally, over 1,800 self-help group members in Bengal have been provided with seed capital, Praveen noted.