PLISFPI — Up to ₹50Cr PLI Incentives for Food Processing

PLISFPI is a central subsidy programme run by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) to help Indian food manufacturers grow into serious players in the global market. Rather than handing out a one-time grant, it rewards companies for the additional sales they generate, and separately shares the cost of taking Indian food brands overseas.

The scheme spans six years, from FY 2021-22 to FY 2026-27. Incentives earned in a given year are normally paid in the following year. MoFPI executes the programme through a dedicated Project Management Agency (PMA), which manages applications, verification and disbursement end to end.

There are three components. Component 1 provides manufacturing incentives across four product groups: Ready-to-Cook/Ready-to-Eat foods, with millet-based products singled out for attention, Processed Fruits & Vegetables, Marine Products, and Mozzarella Cheese. Component 2 is aimed at SMEs developing innovative or organic products in those same segments, and also covers Free Range Eggs, Poultry Meat and Egg Products. Component 3 funds branding and marketing activity in international markets.

The stated aims reach past industrial growth: the scheme is also meant to create off-farm employment, secure remunerative prices for agricultural produce, and raise farmer incomes.

• Production-linked incentive on incremental food product sales, at rates between 4% and 10%
• 50% reimbursement of overseas branding and marketing expenditure
• Branding support capped at ₹50 crore a year or 3% of food product sales, whichever is lower
• Covers RTC/RTE (including millet-based), Processed Fruits & Vegetables, Marine Products and Mozzarella Cheese
• Separate window for SMEs making innovative or organic products
• Runs from FY 2021-22 to FY 2026-27, with a dedicated Project Management Agency handling execution

Applicants must be in the business of manufacturing food products in India, within the segments the scheme covers.

• Large entities can apply under Category I for manufacturing incentives in the target food segments.
• SMEs apply under Category II and must be working on innovative or organic food products, including Free Range Eggs, Poultry Meat and Egg Products.
• Category III is for applicants seeking only international branding and marketing support.
• Minimum sales of food products and committed investment thresholds apply, as laid out in Appendix A of the scheme guidelines.
• The full manufacturing process, apart from additives, flavours and edible oils, has to take place in India.
• Applicants cannot have been declared bankrupt or a willful defaulter, cannot have been reported for fraud by any financial institution, and must not appear on the SEBI Debarred List.

PLISFPI — Up to ₹50Cr PLI Incentives for Food Processing is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

PLISFPI — Up to ₹50Cr PLI Incentives for Food Processing 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.

The headline benefit is a production-linked incentive, worked out as Incremental Sales × Applicable Rate of Incentive. Rates differ by segment and by year, moving between 10% and 4%; value-added marine products can qualify for 10%. The incentive is paid every year starting from the year of selection until the scheme ends, as long as the applicant delivers a minimum compound annual growth rate in sales.

On top of that, there is 50% reimbursement of eligible expenditure on branding and marketing Indian food brands abroad. Eligible activity includes in-store branding, renting shelf space, listing fees, media advertising and promotional campaigns.

The branding support is capped at ₹50 crore per year, or 3% of the sales of food products, whichever is lower. To claim it, an applicant must incur at least ₹5 crore of eligible expenditure over a five-year period.

Together, the incentive and the branding reimbursement are designed to help food processors scale up, innovate and compete internationally.

PLISFPI — Up to ₹50Cr PLI Incentives for Food Processing is offered by Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), 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.

Expression of Interest: MoFPI opens the intake by releasing an EOI that sets out the application window, the eligibility conditions and the categories open for applications. Submissions are made online through the scheme portal.

Preliminary examination by the PMA: Each application is screened within 15 working days for completeness and adherence to the basic requirements. If deficiencies are found, the applicant is notified within the same 15-working-day period and has 10 working days to set things right; failing to do so can lead to rejection.

Evaluation and recommendation: Complete applications are assessed on proposed investment, sales projections and fit with the chosen product segment. The PMA then prepares a recommendation report and places it before MoFPI for final review and approval.

Approval and conditions: All applications are targeted for finalisation within 90 days of the application window closing. On approval by MoFPI, the PMA issues an approval letter within 5 working days, detailing the approved product segment, base year sales, projected incremental sales, applicable incentive rates, committed investment and production schedule. Selected applicants must then submit a performance bank guarantee worth 3% of their committed investment within two weeks of receiving the approval letter.

Before you apply to PLISFPI — Up to ₹50Cr PLI Incentives for Food Processing, 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.

PLISFPI — Up to ₹50Cr PLI Incentives for Food Processing is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹50Cr. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.