Who is Eligible for MOFPI Subsidy? A Complete Eligibility Guide

Introduction

The MOFPI Subsidy 2025 is a government grant aimed at supporting food processing industries across India. The scheme provides financial assistance of up to ₹5 crore, helping businesses modernize and expand their operations. If you’re an entrepreneur looking for MSME subsidy for food processing, or you belong to the SC/ST category and need special financial assistance, this guide will help you understand MOFPI subsidy eligibility and how to apply before the last date of submission.

1️⃣ What is MOFPI Subsidy?

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) offers this subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to promote value addition in agriculture, reduce food wastage, and enhance food security in India.

📌 Subsidy Amount:

• General Areas: 35% of the eligible project cost (Max ₹5 crore)
• Difficult Areas & SC/ST, FPOs: 50% of the eligible project cost (Max ₹5 crore)

📌 Last Date for Submission:

• Applications must be submitted online on the SAMPADA Portal before the deadline mentioned in the latest EOI (Expression of Interest) i.e. 28th March 2025 before 5.00 PM.
• Late applications will not be considered.

🚀 Let’s check if you are eligible to apply for this subsidy!

2️⃣ Who Can Apply for MOFPI Subsidy?

The following entities are eligible for financial assistance under the MOFPI subsidy scheme:

✅ MSMEs & Large Enterprises – Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and large food processing companies.

✅ Proprietorship & Partnership Firms – Including LLPs, private limited, and public limited companies.

✅ Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) & Cooperatives – Organizations formed by farmers to promote collective farming and processing.

✅ Self-Help Groups (SHGs) – Women and rural community-based organizations engaged in food processing.

✅ Scheduled Caste (SC) & Scheduled Tribe (ST) Entrepreneurs – Special category applicants get higher subsidy amounts.

✅ Government Organizations – Central & State Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).

✅ Startups in the Food Processing Industry – New businesses planning to set up food processing units.

✅ Entities in Mega Food Parks (MFPs) & Agro-Processing Clusters (APCs) – Companies setting up units within designated industrial food processing zones.

📌 SC/ST Benefit: If SC/ST promoters hold at least 51% stake, the project is eligible for the higher subsidy (50%).

📌 Important: If an SC/ST stake falls below 51% during project implementation, the subsidy will be canceled, and the released amount will be recovered with 10% interest per annum.

3️⃣ Eligible Sectors Under MOFPI Subsidy

The MOFPI subsidy covers various segments of the food processing industry, including:

🍏 Fruits & Vegetables Processing
🥛 Milk & Dairy Processing
🍗 Meat, Poultry & Fish Processing
🥣 Ready-to-Eat (RTE) & Ready-to-Cook (RTC) Foods, Snacks & Bakery
🌾 Food Grains, Pulses & Oil Seed Processing
🌶 Spices & Condiments Processing
🍯 Honey Processing & Honey-Based Products
🍫 Food Flavours, Additives, Cocoa & Nutritional Products
🧆 Animal Feed Manufacturing (Only in MFPs/APCs)
🥤 Carbonated Drinks with Fruit Juice (More than 5-10% fruit content)

🚨 Not Eligible: Packaged drinking water units and farming activities like dairy farming, poultry farming, and hatcheries are not covered under MOFPI subsidy.

4️⃣ Eligibility Criteria for MOFPI Subsidy

To qualify for the subsidy, applicants must meet the following criteria:

✅ Net Worth Requirement:

• General applicants: Net worth must be 1.5 times the subsidy amount sought.
• Difficult Area/SC/ST/FPOs: Net worth must be equal to the subsidy amount.
• SC/ST entities must maintain a minimum 51% stake throughout the project duration.

✅ Term Loan Requirement:

• General Areas: Minimum 20% of total project cost must be funded through a term loan.
• Difficult Areas/SC/ST/FPOs: Minimum 10% of total project cost must be funded through a term loan.

✅ Minimum Project Cost:

• General Areas: ₹3 Crore
• Difficult Areas/SC/ST: ₹1 Crore

✅ Completion Timeline:

• Projects must be completed within 18 months from the approval date.

5️⃣ How to Apply for MOFPI Subsidy?

To apply for the subsidy, follow these steps:

✅ Step 1: Visit the official SAMPADA Portal and check the latest EOI announcement.

✅ Step 2: Prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR), including technical and financial details.

✅ Step 3: Get a Final Term Loan Sanction Letter from a recognized bank (Scheduled Commercial Bank, NABARD, SIDBI, NEDFi).

✅ Step 4: Submit all required documents online, including:

• Company registration certificates
• Financial statements & tax returns
• Land ownership/lease documents (Minimum 15-year lease required)
• Equipment quotations

✅ Step 5: Applications will be reviewed by the Technical Committee (TC) and must score at least 60% (or 45% for SC/ST applicants).

✅ Step 6: Shortlisted applications will be sent to the Project Approval Committee (PAC) for final approval.

✅ Step 7: If approved, applicants will receive a Sanction Letter and must submit a Performance Security Bank Guarantee.

✅ Step 8: The subsidy is disbursed in installments as per project progress.

6️⃣ Conclusion

The MOFPI Subsidy 2025 provides a great opportunity for entrepreneurs in the food processing sector to get financial assistance. If your business meets the eligibility criteria, apply before the last date of submission to secure up to ₹5 crore in funding.

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