Food Processing &
Cold Chain Infrastructure
Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) provides financial assistance up to ₹15 Crore for setting up food processing units, cold chains, agro-processing clusters, food testing labs, and value addition infrastructure.
6 Active PMKSY Component Schemes
Choose the right scheme for your food processing, cold chain, or agro-processing project
Integrated Cold Chain (ICCVAI)
Food Processing Units (CEFPPC)
Agro Processing Cluster (APC)
Food Testing Lab (FSQAI)
Human Resources & Institutions – R&D
Operation Greens (OG)
Integrated Cold Chain & Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI)
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Reduce post-harvest losses by developing cold chain, processing, and storage infrastructure for perishable commodities |
| Eligible Infrastructure | Pre-cooling, sorting, grading, waxing, packing, multi-product cold storage, CA storage, IQF, blast freezing, distribution hubs, reefer vehicles, mobile cooling units |
| Sectors Covered | Horticulture, fish/marine products, dairy, meat & poultry |
| Key Requirement | Creation of farm level infrastructure in the catchment area is mandatory |
| FPO Provision | Minimum project cost reduced to ₹1 Crore for FPOs |
| Guidelines | 22.05.2025 |
Creation/Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC)
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Set up/expand food processing units outside Mega Food Parks and Agro Processing Clusters |
| Eligible Sectors | Fruits & vegetables, dairy, meat, fish, cereals, pulses, spices, other eligible food products |
| FPO Provision | Minimum project cost reduced to ₹1 Crore for FPOs |
| Guidelines | 22.01.2025 |
Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC)
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Develop clusters for collective processing, storage, and marketing |
| Key Requirements | Minimum 10 acres of land, at least 5 food-processing units, minimum investment of ₹25 crore |
| Typical Infrastructure | Internal roads, water supply, power, drainage, ETP, warehouses, cold storage, IQF, sorting, grading, packaging |
| Guidelines | 25.04.2025 |
Food Safety & Quality Assurance Infrastructure (FSQAI)
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Strengthen food testing infrastructure, enhance availability of quality testing facilities, reduce turnaround time |
| Eligible Beneficiaries | Private sector organizations/entities setting up commercial food testing laboratories |
| Max Subsidy | ₹5 Crore per project |
| Application Portal | SAMPADA Portal |
| Guidelines | 12.11.2025 |
Eligibility Criteria
| Criteria | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Promoter's Equity | General: Min 20% | Difficult Areas/SC/ST/FPOs: Min 10% of TPC |
| Net Worth | Combined net worth must be at least equal to subsidy sought |
| Term Loan | General: Min 20% | Difficult/SC/ST/FPO: Min 10% of TPC from RBI approved Bank/NBFC |
| Appraisal Note | Detailed Appraisal Note from Scheduled Commercial Bank/NABARD/SIDBI/NEDFI issued after EoI date |
| Past Assistance | Eligible for new subsidy after 2 years of final instalment/CTO of last project |
| Project Limit | Max 2 projects within 10 years per entity/promoter |
| SC/ST Category | ≥51% stake by SC/ST members – treated as SC/ST proposal |
| Women Entrepreneur | ≥51% stake in net worth – treated as Women proposal |
Eligible & Ineligible Components
Eligible for Subsidy
- Equipment (₹1 Lakh+) essential for food testing
- Technical Civil Work (TCW) & Furniture & Fixtures
- NABL Accreditation Fee & Certified Reference Material (CRM)
- Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) – Mandatory
Not Eligible for Subsidy
- Compound wall, approach roads, administrative building
- Canteen, labour restrooms, security rooms
- Margin money, working capital, contingencies
- Transport vehicles, office furniture, CCTV, AC ducting
- Equipment under ₹1 Lakh, reconditioned/old machinery
Pattern of Assistance
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Equipment | General: 50% | Difficult/SC/ST/FPO: 70% of eligible equipment cost |
| Technical Civil Work (TCW) & F&F | Max 2% of eligible cost or ₹15 Lakhs (whichever is lower) |
| NABL Registration Fee & CRM | Registration fee including GST + one-time Certified Reference Material (CRM) |
| LIMS | Laboratory Information Management System – Mandatory component |
Release of Subsidy – 3 Instalments
| Instalment | Amount | General Areas | Difficult Areas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 50% | Within 10 months | Within 13 months |
| 2nd | 40% | Within 20 months | Within 26 months |
| 3rd (Final) | 10% | Within 24 months + NABL | Within 30 months + NABL |
NABL Accreditation Mandatory: Within 4 months of 2nd instalment release. Failure leads to cancellation and recovery with 10% penal interest.
Delay Deduction
| Delay Period | Deduction (% of Subsidy) |
|---|---|
| Up to 3 months | 0% |
| 3-4 months | 1.0% |
| 4-5 months | 2.0% |
| 5-6 months | 3.0% |
| 6-7 months | 4.0% |
| 7-8 months | 5.0% |
| 8-9 months | 6.0% |
| 9-10 months | 7.0% |
| 10-11 months | 8.0% |
| 11-12 months | 9.0% |
| More than 12 months | 10.0% |
Human Resources & Institutions – Research & Development
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Encourage development and commercialization of technologies for new food products, processing technologies, preservation, packaging, value addition |
| 2026-27 Targets | 8 R&D projects, 8 new technologies, 8 technologies commercialized, 4 patents |
| Status | One of the 6 active PMKSY components |
Operation Greens (OG)
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Objective | Strengthen value chains for perishable agricultural products, improve farmer realization, reduce post-harvest losses |
| Eligible Crops | 22 perishable crops including Mango, Banana, Apple, Pineapple, Orange, Grapes, Tomato, Onion, Potato, Green Peas, Carrot, Cauliflower, Beans, Garlic, Ginger, Shrimp |
| Long-Term Focus | Production clusters, FPOs, farm-gate infrastructure, storage, agri-logistics, processing, value addition, market linkages |
| Short-Term | Transportation/storage subsidy – transferred to Department of Agriculture from 2023-24 |
| Guidelines | 25.05.2022 |
Application Process
4 simple steps to avail PMKSY subsidy
Submit Proposal
Apply online on SAMPADA Portal (sampada-mofpi.gov.in) against Expression of Interest (EoI)
Technical Evaluation
Technical Committee scrutinizes & evaluates proposals based on eligibility and technical parameters
PAC Approval
Project Approval Committee approves; issue of approval letter; submit Acceptance Letter & Performance Security
Implementation & Claim
Complete within timeline; claim instalments; obtain necessary certifications (e.g., NABL for labs)
Key Points
- All applications must be submitted online only
- Proposals invited through Expression of Interest (EOI)
- FPOs get preferential treatment across all active schemes
- Difficult Areas: NE States, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh, ITDP, A&N, Lakshadweep
Documents Required
- Detailed Project Report (DPR)
- Bank Appraisal Note + Term Loan Sanction
- Land documents, registration certificates, financial statements
- SC/ST certificate (if applicable), MSME Udyam registration
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about PMKSY schemes
What are the 6 active schemes under PMKSY?
1. Integrated Cold Chain (ICCVAI)
2. Food Processing Units (CEFPPC)
3. Agro Processing Cluster (APC)
4. Food Testing Lab (FSQAI)
5. R&D
6. Operation Greens (OG)
What is the subsidy rate under PMKSY?
It varies by scheme: Cold Chain/CEFPPC/APC: 35-50%, Food Testing Lab: 50-70%, Operation Greens: 35-50%, R&D: As per guidelines.
What is the maximum subsidy amount?
Cold Chain: ₹10 Cr | Food Processing Units: ₹5 Cr | Agro Cluster: ₹10 Cr | Food Testing Lab: ₹5 Cr | Operation Greens: ₹15 Cr
Do FPOs get special benefits?
Yes! FPOs get lower equity (10%), lower net worth requirement, and lower minimum project cost (₹1 Cr vs ₹3 Cr for general applicants).
What is the application portal?
All applications must be submitted online through the SAMPADA Portal (sampada-mofpi.gov.in).
Are Mega Food Parks still active?
No. Mega Food Parks and Creation of Backward & Forward Linkages (CBFL) were discontinued w.e.f. 01.04.2021.
What is the total outlay for PMKSY?
The total outlay for the 15th Finance Commission cycle (2021-2026) is ₹5,520 Crore. The 2026-27 outlay is ₹915 Crore.
What is LIMS and is it mandatory?
LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) is a software platform for managing lab operations. It is mandatory for availing subsidy under FSQAI.