Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), for augmenting processing/preservation capacity, creating off-farm employment, leveraging domestic investment and increasing value addition to the economy.
Recently, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI), Scheme has been launched for creating global food champions through incentivising investment in the food processing sector and creating employment.
The Pradhan Mantri-Formalisation of Micro Enterprises (PM-FME), scheme is also being implemented since 2020-21 which aims at upgrading/ formalising 2 lakh micro informal units and creation of 9 lakh employment. The government has permitted 100% foreign direct investment (FDI), under the automatic route.
The total FDI received in the food processing sector since April 2014 till December 2021 is $5.15 billion. Also through 582 completed projects under various component schemes of PMKSY, Rs 8562.92 crore of investment has been leveraged as on January 31, 2022.
Food processing sector is a labour intensive sector. As per the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), 2018-19, food processing was ranked 1st in total persons engaged in manufacturing sector.
The top five manufacturing sectors with number of persons engaged were:
S.No.
|
Sector
|
No. of persons engaged (in lakhs)
|
Share in total employment in %
|
1
|
Food Products
|
20.05
|
12.32
|
2
|
Textiles
|
16.73
|
10.28
|
3
|
Wearing Apparel
|
11.97
|
7.35
|
4
|
Basic Metals
|
11.49
|
7.06
|
5
|
Motor Vehicles, Trailers & Semi Trailers
|
10.95
|
6.73
|
|
Total
|
162.80
|
|
d): Number of units and employment in registered food processing sector for last three years as reported in the ASI data were as under: -
Sl. No.
|
Year
|
No. of units
|
Employment (figures in lakh)
|
1.
|
2016-17
|
39,740
|
18.53
|
2.
|
2017-18
|
40,160
|
19.33
|
3.
|
2018-19
|
40,579
|
20.05
|
In addition, 51.11 lakh number of persons were engaged in the food processing sector in the unincorporated sector/informal sector, as per the National Sample Survey 2015-16 report.