New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) The government has approved Rs 793.27 crore in incentives for 29 companies under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for millet-based products to promote value addition and increase the use of millets in food products, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh said the incentives have been approved under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI), which includes a dedicated component for millet-based products with a total outlay of Rs 800 crore.

Out of the approved applicants, eight are large companies while 21 are small and medium enterprises (SMEs), he said.

The ministry has been promoting the development of food processing infrastructure, including millet processing units, through multiple schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), PLISFPI, and the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME).

Under the PMFME scheme, millet-based products have been identified as “One District One Product” (ODOP) in 21 districts across the country.

As of December 31, 2025, 4,612 micro food processing enterprises involved in millet processing have been approved under the scheme, with subsidies amounting to Rs 91.20 crore.

The government also organised Millet Mahotsav events in 30 districts across states and Union Territories during the International Year of Millets 2023 to support entrepreneurs and start-ups engaged in millet processing.

Under the PLI scheme component for millet-based products, sales by approved beneficiaries increased from Rs 35 crore in 2020–21 to Rs 814 crore in 2024–25, while millet procurement rose from 1,092 metric tonnes to 16,130 metric tonnes during the same period.

Moreover, one food processing unit has been approved under the creation/expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) component of PMKSY.

The government also provides branding and marketing support under the PMFME scheme to farmer producer organisations, self-help groups, and cooperatives involved in millet processing, the minister added.

–IANS

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