AHIDF — Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund

The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) is a ₹29,610 crore central sector scheme administered by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. It provides a 3% per annum interest subvention on bank loans to catalyse private investment in animal husbandry infrastructure. The fund supports the creation and modernisation of dairy processing and value-addition facilities, meat and poultry processing plants, animal feed manufacturing plants, breed improvement labs and veterinary infrastructure. It also covers cold chains, packaging units and quality testing labs linked to these activities. The objective is to enhance processing capacity, reduce post-harvest losses, improve product quality and increase farmers' income. By subsidising the interest cost, AHIDF makes long-term borrowing cheaper for entrepreneurs, cooperatives and companies. The total programme outlay of ₹29,610 crore signals the government's commitment to developing the animal husbandry sector as a driver of rural employment and food security.

• ₹29,610 crore total fund corpus with a 3% interest subvention on bank loans.
• Loan coverage up to ₹50 crore per project with 90% bank financing and 10% promoter equity.
• Loan tenure up to 8 years with a 2-year moratorium.
• Eligible for dairy processing, meat processing, poultry, aquaculture, animal feed, breed improvement and linked infrastructure.
• Open to individual entrepreneurs, companies, MSMEs, FPOs and cooperatives.
• Non-dilutive: no equity stake taken by the government.

AHIDF is open to individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSMEs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives. Eligible sectors include dairy processing and value-addition, meat processing, poultry processing, aquaculture and animal feed manufacturing. Breed improvement, veterinary labs and linked cold chain or packaging infrastructure also qualify. Primary milk production at the farm level is not covered. There is no restriction on company registration status; however, the project must be appraised and financed by a scheduled commercial bank or NABARD. The promoter must contribute 10% of the project cost as equity, with the bank providing the remaining 90%.

AHIDF — Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

AHIDF — Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

AHIDF provides a 3% interest subvention on bank loans for eligible projects, reducing the effective interest rate paid by the borrower. The loan amount can go up to ₹50 crore per project. The loan structure is 90% bank financing and 10% promoter equity. Loan tenure is up to 8 years, including a 2-year moratorium period during which only the net interest (after subvention) is payable. The benefits are non-dilutive — no government equity is taken. The subvention is credited to the lending institution by DAHD, which passes it on as a reduced interest charge to the borrower. The scheme also offers the advantage of a streamlined process where the bank handles appraisal and disbursement, and the government reimburses the interest differential.

AHIDF — Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund is offered by Dept of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Before you apply to AHIDF — Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.