The Ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI) is advancing the adoption of renewable energy in the food processing sector through its schemes supporting solar, biomass, and wind energy. Financial assistance of up to Rs 35 lakh per project is provided under the component schemes of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) to encourage renewable and alternative energy technologies in food processing units.Â
To ensure environmental compliance, consent to operate from the concerned state pollution boards is mandatory for release of grants, while project agencies must adhere to environmental norms such as the use of non-ozone-depleting and low global warming potential refrigerants in cold chain systems, minister of state for food processing industries Ravneet Singh said in the Rajya Sabha.
Promoting sustainability as a core value, MoFPI organized the 4th edition of World Food India 2025 from 25–28 September 2025, where ‘Sustainability and Net Zero Food Processing’ was a key focus area. The event emphasized resource efficiency, waste reduction, energy-efficient practices, and eco-friendly packaging solutions.Â
The National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship & Management, Thanjavur (NIFTEM-T), under MoFPI, has also been spearheading the development of biodegradable packaging materials from biopolymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), starch, and nanofibres to promote sustainable packaging alternatives, the minister said.
MoFPI continues to strengthen the food processing ecosystem through its key schemes — Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI), and the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme.Â
These initiatives collectively support startups and MSMEs with subsidies, incentives, infrastructure development, and capacity building, fostering entrepreneurship and employment opportunities across rural and semi-urban India. The Ministry also provides extensive training, incubation, testing, and R&D support through its two autonomous institutions — NIFTEM-Kundli (Haryana) and NIFTEM-Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu).
Rural food processing
Under the Centrally Sponsored Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, MoFPI provides financial, technical, and business assistance for setting up or upgrading micro food processing enterprises nationwide. The scheme is designed to enhance the competitiveness of micro-enterprises in the unorganized sector and encourage their formalization. Notably, there is no qualification criterion prescribed for enterprises seeking benefits under the scheme, the minister said.
As of 31 October 2025, a total of 1,62,744 micro food processing units have been sanctioned for credit-linked subsidies amounting to ₹13,234.90 crore, Singh said.
(The information has been processed from a PIB press release)
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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