Devesh Deval highlights achievements in empowering Micro Food Processing Enterprises
Devesh Deval, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, addressed a media interaction at Panchsheel Bhawan, New Delhi regarding the implementation and achievements of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme. During the interaction, the Ministry highlighted the scheme’s growing impact on entrepreneurship, rural livelihoods, women-led enterprises and market integration of micro food processing units.
The PMFME Scheme was launched by the Government of India in 2020 under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The scheme was conceptualised to address the challenges faced by India’s unorganised micro food processing sector, which constitutes a significant share of the country’s food processing industry (The unorganized food processing sector in the country comprises nearly 25 lakh food processing enterprises which are unregistered and informal) but has historically faced constraints related to access to credit, modern technology, branding, packaging, quality standards and organised market linkages. Increasing food processing levels has been recognized as critical for reducing wastage, improving farmers’ income realization, and generating employment.
However, dedicated institutional support for modernization and scaling up of micro food processing enterprises remained limited. Accordingly, the centrally sponsored scheme was specifically designed to bridge the gaps by addressing the challenges faced by micro-enterprises while leveraging the potential of groups and cooperatives to drive upgradation, formalization, and sustainable growth of the sector. Therefore, PMFME, the centrally sponsored scheme, with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore, was approved for implementation during 2020-21 to 2024-25 and has been extended till September 2026.(updated on 22nd may 2026)
