Scheme for Reimbursement of Testing and Certification Charges for Start-ups and Telecom MSEs 2026

This scheme encourages the use and value addition of millets by providing financial incentives to manufacturers on Read More... their increased sales of eligible millet-based food products. Read less

Details

The Indian government is actively promoting millets, and this scheme is a big step towards that. The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Millet-Based Products (PLISMBP) is designed to give a significant boost to businesses that are either making or planning to make food products with millets.

What Is This Scheme?

Launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, this scheme is all about encouraging the production and sale of millet-based food items. It works by giving you financial incentives, essentially a reward, based on how much your sales of these special millet products grow over time. The goal is to make millets a popular choice in our food and create more value from them.

Who Can Benefit From This Scheme?

This scheme is for businesses involved in making or wanting to make packaged and branded ready-to-cook (RTC) or ready-to-eat (RTE) food products that contain a good amount of millets.

Why This Scheme Is Important

By incentivising the manufacture and sale of millet-based products, the scheme aims to increase millet consumption, support farmers, promote value-added products, and enhance exports. It's a win-win for businesses and the wider adoption of nutritious millets across India.

Objective

This scheme encourages the use and value addition of millets by providing financial incentives to manufacturers on their increased sales of eligible millet-based food products.

Benefits

Financial Assistance:

The reimbursement of testing and certification charges will be provided as follows:

Start-Ups: Up to 75% of testing and certification charges
Micro Enterprises: Up to 60% of testing and certification charges
Small Enterprises: Up to 50% of testing and certification charges

The reimbursement is applicable for testing conducted at:

Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) / National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) designated or recognised labs; or
NABL-accredited labs (in case the TEC-designated Conformity Assessment Body is not available).

The maximum reimbursement is capped at ₹50,00,000/- per applicant during the scheme duration.

Conditions:

The product certificate (MTCTE/Voluntary Certification) must be issued after the scheme implementation guidelines or the notified date.

The reimbursement claim must be submitted within 3 months from the date of issue of the product certificate by TEC.

Reimbursement is applicable only for testing and certification related to Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE) or voluntary certification.

Reimbursement will not be provided for control tests related to product research and development (R&D).

Sources and references

Guidelines

Eligibility Criteria

Your total sales of all food products must be above a minimum threshold set for the Base Year (FY 2020-21). You can find the specific minimum sales figures in Appendix B of the scheme guidelines.
If you are applying as an MSME, a valid Udyam Registration Certificate is mandatory.
You must be involved in manufacturing or intend to manufacture eligible products in India and sell them.
To receive the incentive, you are required to achieve a minimum 10% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) on the sales of your eligible products compared to the base year. If you don't meet this growth target in a particular year, you won't get an incentive for that year. However, in exceptional circumstances like Force Majeure, the empowered group might review this minimum growth rate.
You can include products that you plan to manufacture during the scheme's duration, even if you aren't making them yet. You must declare these intended products and their millet content when you first apply. You cannot add new products later.
The entire manufacturing process for your eligible food products, from raw materials to the final product, must happen in India. This condition doesn't apply to the use of additives, flavours, or edible oil.
Your name, or the names of your promoters, should not appear on any lists of wilful defaulters ( ₹25 lacs and above), general defaulters ( ₹1 crore and above), or SEBI debarred individuals/entities as of your application date. You'll need to submit an undertaking declaring this.

How To Apply

Keep an eye out for the Expression of Interest (EOI) release by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.
Once the EOI is out, visit the official online portal designated for the scheme.
Fill out the online application form completely and accurately.
Upload all the required documents as specified in the application guidelines.
Pay the applicable application fee online: ₹1,00,000/- for Large Entities and ₹10,000/- for MSMEs.
Submit your application before the deadline.

The official portal for applications and more details is usually managed by the Project Management Agency (PMA), IFCI Limited. You can find more information and links on the official Ministry of Food Processing Industries website.

Documents Required

Completed Application Form (Annexure-1)
Memorandum And Articles Of Association / Partnership Deed / Equivalent Registration Documents (As Applicable)
Shareholding Pattern / Details Of Partners (As Applicable)
Audited Financial Statements For The Last 3 Years (Including Balance Sheet And Schedules)
Profit Before Tax (PBT) And Profit After Tax (PAT) Details For The Last 3 Years
Permanent Account Number (PAN)
Goods And Services Tax (GST) Registration Certificate
Udyam Registration Certificate (Mandatory for MSME Applicants)
FSSAI License for the eligible products you plan to manufacture.
Certificate from a Statutory Auditor or Independent Chartered Accountant confirming your sales figures for all food products and eligible millet-based products.
Detailed records of Sales (both domestic and export) of food products and eligible products.
Product details, including a clear declaration of the percentage of millet content.
Clear photographs of the front and back of your eligible products, showing the millet content prominently on the label.
Credit History / Commercial CIBIL Report.
An Undertaking for Integrity Compliance (Annexure-7).
Consent for Audit of Manufacturing Sites/Offices (Annexure-6).
Details of your manufacturing facilities, whether owned or through contract manufacturing.
Information about your Promoters, CEO, Directors, and Key Managerial Personnel (including their PAN/DIN).
External Credit Rating Details (if you have one).

FAQ’s

What is the main aim of this scheme?

The primary goal is to boost the use of millets in food products and encourage value addition. It does this by giving financial incentives to manufacturers for increasing their sales of eligible millet-based foods.

Who is eligible to apply for this scheme?

Businesses like proprietorships, partnership firms, LLPs, companies registered in India, cooperatives, and MSMEs that manufacture or intend to manufacture eligible millet-based food products can apply.

What kind of products are covered by this incentive scheme?

The scheme covers packaged and branded Ready-to-Cook (RTC) and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) food products that are made from millets. A key condition is that the product must contain over 15% millet content by weight or volume.

Are there any specific millet products that are not included?

Yes, basic processed millet items like de-husked grains, polished grains, and simple millet flour (atta) are excluded from this scheme.

For how long will this scheme be active?

The Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Millet-Based Products is set to run for a period of 5 years, starting from the financial year 2022-23 and concluding in FY 2026-27.

How is the financial incentive calculated?

The incentive is calculated based on the increase in your sales of eligible millet products compared to a defined base year. The formula is: Incremental Sales multiplied by the applicable Incentive Rate.

Is there a minimum sales growth required to get the incentive?

Absolutely. You need to achieve a minimum Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10% on the sales of your eligible products. If this growth target isn't met in any year, you won't receive an incentive for that specific year.

What is the minimum proportion of millets required in the products?

For a product to be considered eligible, it must contain more than 15% millet content. This is measured either by weight or by volume.

What is the process to apply for this scheme?

You can apply online through the official portal designated for the scheme once the Expression of Interest (EOI) is released. You will need to fill out the application form and upload necessary documents.

Is there a fee to apply for this scheme?

Yes, an application fee is required. Large Entities need to pay ₹1,00,000/-, while MSMEs need to pay ₹10,000/-. This fee is payable online.

Can I apply as both an MSME and a Large Entity?

No, you can only choose to apply under one category – either as an MSME or as a Large Entity. You cannot apply under both.

How are applications chosen for the scheme?

Applications are carefully evaluated based on a set of defined criteria and then ranked. The selection process follows this ranking, with applicants chosen in descending order of their marks.

How will I receive the incentive money?

The incentive amount will be directly transferred to your bank account. This disbursement is done electronically through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).