Don’t follow a trend , Follow your heart : A blog by Kuldeep Sharma

India recorded over 3.57 lakh new covid-19 cases in the 24 hours ending 8 am Tuesday, taking the total infections past the 2 crore mark. With this the country reported a decline in daily spike for the third consecutive day. Over 34 lakh cases are currently active, the lowest rise in active cases in a month, while over 1.66 crore people have recovered after testing positive. That reminds me a great quote as follows .

Don’t follow a trend , Follow your heart : Krist Novoselic

Interestingly amid a surge in coronavirus cases our PM Modi took some key decisions to boost availability of medical personnel in fighting Covid-19. He said that the final year MBBS students and BSc GNM-qualified nurses can be deployed for Covid duties. He added that the medical personnel completing 100 days of Covid duties will be given priority in forthcoming regular government recruitments. This decision will be a milestone in India fighting battle of Corona.

Corona has not stopped Atmanirbhar Abhiyan of the current government. Guidelines for the long awaited PLI scheme by Ministry of Food processing has been unleashed. An expression of interest has been floated and the last date for applying is June 17th 2021. The scheme has focussed on Mozzarella cheese , Ice cream, Milk beverage, buttermilk and Indian traditional sweets amongst the dairy products.

Details of PLI scheme

The scheme is launched under three categories and is open for (i) Proprietary Firm or Partnership Firm or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) or a Company registered in India (ii) Co-operatives; and (iii) SME as defined under MSME development act.

Category–I: Applicants are large entities who apply for Incentive based on Sales and Investment Criteria. Applicant under this category could undertake Branding & Marketing activities abroad also and apply for grant under the scheme with a common application.

Category–II: SMEs Applicants manufacturing innovative/ organic products who apply for PLI Incentive based on Sales.

Category–III: Applicants applying solely for grant for undertaking Branding & Marketing activities abroad.

For Mozzarella cheese under Category I the eligibility criteria is Rs 150 crores sales in food products and a minimum investment outlay of Rs 23 crores for a 10 MTPD plant. The outlay would cover Plant and machineries as well as technical building. It could be a green field project or an expansion by any registered entity.

Coverage of product mix

Mozzarella cheese in Bulk and consumer Packaging which gets covered under HS Code 0406. All other cheese except Mozzarella ( HSN 04061000-4000) are excluded from this scheme. Minimum CAGR in sales expected for availing PLI is 15% in cheese category.Incentives will be given to this segment of products at the rate of 10% for first 3 years and then gradually reducing to 8%,6% and 4% in 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 respectively.

Other products from the dairy sector are 1. Ice Cream: Impulse Ice Cream, Take Home Ice-Cream, Frozen Dessert: 2. Milk Based Beverages- Yoghurt, Buttermilk, Lassi etc. 3. Packaged Indian traditional sweets under HS code 2106

Incentive computation criteria

Minimum CAGR in sales expected for availing Production Linked Incentive for these categories of products is 10%. Incentives will be given to this segment of products at the rate of 10% for first 4 years . And then gradually reducing to 9% and 8% in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Base Year for calculation of Incremental Sales would be 2019-20 for the first 4 years. For 5th & 6th years, the Base year would shift to 2021-22 & 2022-23 respectively.

The proposals/ Eols, will only be received at online portal: https://plimofpi.ifciltd.com . Last date for submission of application is 17.06.2021 upto 5:00 PM.

It is yet another initiative by the government of India for the creation of global food manufacturing champions .

Let us all pray for our nation and the kind of future which it is capable of creating. As some one has said it rightly that a great future doesn’t require a great past. So the only path which is visible from here goes up only.

Stay safe, Stay healthy

A blog by Kuldeep Sharma