New Delhi, April 7 : The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the food processing industry has attracted investments of Rs 9,207 crore and generated around 3.29 lakh jobs so far, the government said on Tuesday.

Launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the scheme is being implemented over six years from FY 2021-22 to FY 2026-27 with a total outlay of Rs 10,900 crore.

It aims to increase value addition, expand processing capacity and generate employment, particularly in rural and off-farm sectors.

The scheme covers key segments such as ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat (RTC/RTE) foods, processed fruits and vegetables, marine products and mozzarella cheese. It also supports innovative and organic products from MSMEs, along with branding and marketing initiatives to strengthen the global presence of Indian food products.

A total of 128 companies have been approved under the scheme, covering 274 units across the country, with strong participation from the MSME sector. As many as 68 MSME applicants and 40 contract manufacturing units are part of the programme.

The government said the scheme has led to significant capacity creation, technology upgradation and modernisation of food processing units across multiple states.

Investment under the scheme has exceeded initial commitments, with cumulative investments reaching Rs 9,207 crore against a committed Rs 7,722 crore across 22 states.

Moreover, around 34 lakh metric tonnes per annum of processing and preservation capacity has been added.

The government also stated that sales of PLI-supported products have grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.58 per cent, while exports have registered a CAGR of 7.41 per cent despite global challenges.

Millet-based products have seen a sharp rise under the scheme, with sales increasing from Rs 345.73 crore in FY23 to Rs 1,845.25 crore in FY25. Procurement of millets has also surged significantly during the period.

/IANS