Bharat Krishi Niryat Yojana – Development of Export Infrastructure
APEDA Assistance for Pack Houses, Cold Chain, Food Processing & Export Infrastructure
The Development of Export Infrastructure component under Bharat Krishi Niryat Yojana supports the creation, expansion and modernisation of infrastructure required to strengthen India's agricultural export supply chain.
The component covers infrastructure such as integrated pack houses, cold stores, pre-cooling units, refrigerated transport, mobile pre-cooling units, food-processing facilities and common infrastructure.
The objective is to address infrastructure gaps that affect product quality, productivity, efficiency, cold-chain continuity and compliance with requirements of importing countries.
What Does the Export Infrastructure Component Support?
The component is broadly divided into the following sub-components:
- Integrated Pack House & Processing Facilities
- Upgradation or expansion of eligible facilities
- Insulated/reefer transport and mobile pre-cooling
- Food-processing facilities addressing missing gaps
Who can avail benefit under Export Infrastructure component?
Eligibility depends on the particular activity and sub-component. The guidelines provide assistance to different categories of stakeholders. The assistance percentage and maximum ceiling may differ according to the beneficiary category, location, type of project and activity.
Special Category: Can receive enhanced assistance subject to the applicable conditions. These specified categories include FPOs, PACS, SC/ST, women beneficiaries and startups, as well as eligible beneficiaries from North - Eastern States, Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Jammu and Kashmir.
General Category: Projects situated in other States or other class of beneficiaries, not specifically mentioned above
1. Integrated Pack House & Processing Facilities
The scheme supports new integrated pack houses and processing facilities addressing missing gaps.
Eligible facilities can include:
- Collection
- Cleaning
- Washing
- Sorting and grading
- Pre-cooling
- Packing
- Cold storage
- Hand-held NIR instruments
- Hot-water dip treatment
- Vapour Heat Treatment
- Other facilities addressing export-related gaps
The objective is to improve compliance with phytosanitary requirements and strengthen export readiness.
Financial Assistance
Special Category: up to 75%, subject to a ceiling of ₹250 lakh.
General Category: up to 40%, subject to a ceiling of ₹250 lakh.
Important Conditions
- Only new projects are considered under this sub-component.
-
Certain cleaning, washing and sorting/grading infrastructure is restricted to following product categories.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Floriculture and floriculture products
- Fruits and vegetables seeds.
- The beneficiary should possess the required land in his / her name.
- A registered lease should have a minimum validity of 15 years at the time of application where land is leased.
- CLU documentation is required wherever applicable.
- Pack-house proposals should follow applicable NCCD/MIDH cold-chain technical standards.
- Importing-country requirements must also be considered.
2. Upgradation or Expansion of Existing Facilities
This sub-component supports the upgradation and modernisation of eligible existing facilities to improve quality, productivity and efficiency.
Financial Assistance
Special Category: up to 75%, subject to a ceiling of ₹200 lakh.
General Category: up to 40%, subject to a ceiling of ₹200 lakh.
Eligible facilities can include:
- Collection
- Cleaning
- Washing
- Sorting and grading
- Pre-cooling
- Packing
- Cold storage
- Hand-held NIR instruments
- Hot-water dip treatment
- Vapour Heat Treatment
- Other facilities addressing export-related gaps
3. Reefer Transport & Mobile Pre-Cooling Units
The scheme supports purchase of:
- Insulated refrigerated transport
- Reefer vehicles
- Mobile pre-cooling units
- Special carriers for livestock
These facilities are intended to support temperature-controlled and hygienic movement of perishable agricultural and animal products and strengthen the cold chain from farm gate to processing and export points.
Financial Assistance
Special Category: up to 75%, subject to a ceiling of ₹200 lakh.
General Category: up to 40%, subject to a ceiling of ₹200 lakh.
Important Conditions
-
Quotations must be provided on the letterhead of the OEM or authorised distributor/dealer and should specify the make and model of:
- Chassis
- Container
- Refrigeration system
- For merchant exporters maximum 2 vehicles for the entire plan period will be allowed.
- For manufacturer exporters the maximum limit will be 5 vehicles for the entire plan period
4. Food Processing Facilities for Missing Gaps
This sub-component addresses missing equipment and facilities required to improve productivity, efficiency and quality for value-added products.
Eligible equipment may include:
- X-ray equipment
- Screening equipment
- Sortex
- IQF
- Cooking/blanching lines
- Filth/metal detectors
- Sensors
- Vibrators
- New technologies/equipment for food safety and quality
Financial Assistance
Special Category: up to 75%, subject to a ceiling of ₹200 lakh.
General Category: up to 40%, subject to a ceiling of ₹200 lakh.
Important Conditions
- The applicant must generally have an established food-processing line, while manual facilities requiring mechanisation may also be considered.
- The applicant must have an appropriate Food Safety Management System such as HACCP or ISO 22000 certification from an appropriately accredited certification body.
- This component provides assistance for plant & machinery/ equipment which are required for up-gradation and modernisation of existing facilities of exporters to enhance the competitiveness and are not an integral part of the production/ processing line.
Key Documents & Project Requirements
Depending on the project, applicants may need documents such as:
- Detailed Project Report
- Chartered Engineer Certificate
- Incorporation/registration documents
- Memorandum & Articles of Association or applicable organisational documents
- Audited financial statements
- Land ownership/registered lease documents
- CLU permission, where applicable
- Statutory permissions
- Bank term-loan sanction, where applicable
- Bank appraisal note
- Project layout/drawings
- Other documents specified by APEDA
The guidelines also contain provisions concerning project viability, duplicate assistance, processing fees, grant release and physical verification.
Who Should Consider This Component?
This component may be relevant to businesses planning:
- New pack-house infrastructure
- Cold-chain facilities
- Export-oriented food processing
- Refrigerated transportation
- Pre-cooling facilities
- Modernisation of export infrastructure
- Quality and food-safety equipment
- Common export infrastructure projects in eligible regions
Need Help with APEDA Export Infrastructure Assistance?
Before investing in an export infrastructure project, it is important to determine whether the proposed machinery, facility or project falls within an eligible BKNY sub-component.
Unique Group can assist businesses in assessing the applicable APEDA component, eligibility conditions, assistance ceiling and documentation requirements.