|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
India launches digital upgrades to strengthen food storage & public distribution
|
|
Friday, 21 November, 2025, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Our Bureau, Delhi
|
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (MoC AFPD) recently unveiled a suite of digital initiatives aimed at modernising food-grain warehousing, supply chain logistics and the Public Distribution System (PDS), as part of the government’s broader PM Gati Shakti mission to integrate national logistics and reduce costs.
At a launch event, Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, said that technology will play a pivotal role in ensuring that subsidised food-grains reach the poorest households with greater speed, transparency and dignity. He emphasised that these reforms align with the government’s vision of synchronising transportation, warehousing and digital platforms to cut logistics costs and streamline delivery.
A key pillar of the transformation is the new ERP platform Bhandaran 360, developed by Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and built on SAP S/4HANA. The system integrates 41 functional modules — including HR, finance, warehouse management, contract monitoring and project oversight — and connects to 35 external systems such as ICEGATE, FCI, NAFED and port networks. New features include single sign-on access, end-to-end encryption, real-time dashboards, chatbots and robotic process automation (RPA) to improve turnaround time, enhance traceability and lower manual dependence.
In addition, a Smart EXIM Warehouse System has been introduced for container freight stations (CFS/ICD) and general warehouses. It applies AI, IoT, FASTag, OCR/ANPR and digital twin yard-management to automate gate-entry, inventory tracking and cargo movement — improving speed, reliability and reducing human intervention.
The department has also rolled out ANNA DARPAN, a mobile-first micro-services platform by Food Corporation of India (FCI) for unified supply-chain operations — covering procurement, storage, movement, quality checks, labour and contract monitoring, thereby creating a single source of truth across depots and railheads.
Furthermore, the ASHA (Anna Sahayata Holistic AI Solution) platform enables beneficiary feedback on ration delivery via multilingual AI-calls, sentiment-analysis, real-time dashboards and grievance redressal — reaching 20 lakh users monthly by March 2026.
Minister Joshi flagged the launch of a new 1.5 lakh-metric-ton hub-silo complex at Malout (Punjab) to highlight the government’s commitment to upgraded, loss-free grain-storage infrastructure.
These moves mark a significant push in India’s food-security agenda by marrying infrastructure, logistics and digital governance—aimed at ensuring that the benefits of welfare systems reach the most vulnerable with greater efficiency, transparency and reliability.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|