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Over 13 lakh jobs generated as govt schemes transform India’s food processing landscape
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Thursday, 19 March, 2026, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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In a major push toward rural industrialization and employment, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has generated over 13 lakh direct and indirect jobs through its flagship welfare schemes. The data, updated as of December 31, 2025, highlights the success of a multi-pronged strategy to modernize India’s food supply chain from "farm gate to retail outlet."
Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh, provided these figures in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The employment breakdown reveals that the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme led the way with 5.18 lakh jobs, followed by the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) with 4.69 lakh jobs, and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme with 3.29 lakh jobs.
The Ministry’s approach combines financial incentives with technical handholding. Under PMKSY, the government provides grants-in-aid ranging from 35% to 50% for projects like integrated cold chains, agro-processing clusters, and food testing laboratories. For difficult areas and marginalized groups (SC/ST, FPOs, and SHGs), the subsidy is capped at the higher 50% limit to encourage inclusive growth.
For micro-scale entrepreneurs, the PMFME scheme offers a credit-linked capital subsidy of 35% (up to Rs 10 lakh) and seed capital for Self-Help Groups (SHGs). This is bolstered by capacity-building initiatives led by national institutes like NIFTEM-K (Haryana) and NIFTEM-T (Tamil Nadu), which provide mentorship, R&D support, and access to NABL-accredited testing labs.
Beyond job creation, these schemes focus on reducing post-harvest losses by creating modern infrastructure, including advanced storage and efficient transportation. By strengthening backward and forward linkages, the government aims to enhance farmer incomes while ensuring high-quality processed food reaches consumers.
With structured guidelines and evaluation criteria, the Ministry continues to scale up infrastructure across various Lok Sabha constituencies, including Jamui, Sagar, and Surat, ensuring that the benefits of the food processing revolution reach every corner of India.
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