The Business Bytes
PLI scheme generates over ₹16.5 lakh crore in sales, boosts key sectors with investment, jobs & exports
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JUNE 25, 2025
“India must leverage its inherent strengths, focus on self-reliance, and address stakeholders’ challenges to unlock its true export potential,” said Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, while chairing a high-level review meeting on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme in the capital on Wednesday.
Calling the PLI Scheme a pivotal instrument in India’s journey towards becoming ‘Aatmanirbhar,’ Goyal urged all participating ministries to prioritize quality over quantity in skill development and resolve infrastructure bottlenecks in close coordination with the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC). He also emphasized the importance of laying out a clear five-year roadmap for both investments and disbursements under the scheme.
The meeting was attended by representatives from all implementing ministries overseeing the 14 key sectors under the PLI umbrella. Till March 2025, the PLI schemes have attracted cumulative investments worth ₹1.76 lakh crore, resulting in production and sales of over ₹16.5 lakh crore and generating over 12 lakh jobs (direct and indirect). Incentives totaling ₹21,534 crore have already been disbursed across 12 sectors, including large-scale electronics, IT hardware, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and textiles.
The pharmaceutical sector has emerged as a strong export performer, with cumulative sales touching ₹2.66 lakh crore — ₹1.7 lakh crore of which came from exports alone. In FY 2024-25, export sales under the scheme contributed nearly 27% of India’s total pharma exports. Notably, 40% of total investments in the sector have gone into R&D, with an impressive 83.7% domestic value addition.
In the bulk drugs segment, the PLI scheme has catalyzed a turnaround — converting India from a net importer (deficit of ₹1,930 crore in FY 2021-22) to a net exporter (₹2,280 crore surplus in FY 2024-25). This has substantially narrowed the gap between domestic production capacity and critical drug demand.
The food processing sector too has shown transformative outcomes, with ₹9,032 crore in investments generating sales worth ₹3.8 lakh crore and creating over 3.4 lakh jobs. The scheme has mandated the use of domestically sourced agricultural raw materials, significantly improving rural livelihoods and supporting farmers. In a major milestone, the procurement of millets under the PLI scheme surged nearly four-fold from FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25. Value-added marine product sales witnessed a 22% CAGR during the scheme’s period, while millet-based product sales grew 25-fold since FY 2021.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have emerged as key beneficiaries, with 70 MSMEs directly enrolled in the food PLI scheme and another 40 working as contract manufacturers. This has enabled innovation, market access, and sustained employment at the grassroots level.
The textile sector, particularly man-made fibres and technical textiles, also reported a notable export growth. MMF exports rose to US$6 billion in FY 2024-25 from US$5.7 billion the previous year, while technical textile exports reached US$3.36 billion, up from US$2.99 billion.
The wide-ranging impact of the PLI schemes underscores their role in strengthening India’s manufacturing ecosystem, creating quality jobs, and boosting export competitiveness — key pillars in the government’s vision to establish India as a global manufacturing hub.
