Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal has called for a renewed national focus on self-reliance, high-quality skilling, and strategic export competitiveness in a high-level review of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. The meeting, attended by all implementing ministries, assessed sector-wise progress and disbursements under the government’s flagship manufacturing initiative.
Shift Toward Quality and Sectoral Strengths
At the meeting, Shri Goyal urged ministries to prioritise sectors where India holds a competitive edge globally and to streamline infrastructure challenges in collaboration with the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC). Emphasising that India should focus on “quality over quantity” in its skilling efforts, he recommended a five-year roadmap that ties investment goals to incentive disbursement targets.
He noted that the government’s goal is not just import substitution, but building globally competitive capabilities. “The approach must be future-ready,” he said, encouraging ministries to double down on domestic value addition and R&D.
PLI’s Impact Across Key Sectors
As of March 2025, the PLI schemes have attracted cumulative investments worth ₹1.76 lakh crore, resulting in production or sales of over ₹16.5 lakh crore and generating over 12 lakh jobs—both direct and indirect. A total of ₹21,534 crore has been disbursed across 12 sectors, including electronics, IT hardware, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, telecom, food processing, and textiles.
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Notably, the pharmaceutical sector has recorded sales of ₹2.66 lakh crore, with ₹1.7 lakh crore in exports. Around 40% of total pharma investments have gone into research and development, contributing to a domestic value addition of nearly 84%.
The bulk drugs segment has also seen a transformation. From being a net importer in FY 2021–22 (−₹1,930 crore), India has become a net exporter (₹2,280 crore), thanks to improved domestic manufacturing of key starting materials and active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Boosting MSMEs and Rural Incomes
The PLI Scheme has had measurable benefits for MSMEs and rural economies. In the food processing sector, 70 MSMEs have been directly enrolled while another 40 operate as contract manufacturers. The mandated use of domestically grown ingredients has bolstered procurement from rural and underdeveloped regions.
Sales of value-added marine products have grown at a CAGR of 22% over the scheme period. Meanwhile, millet-based product sales increased 25-fold in FY 2024–25 compared to the base year, with procurement volumes rising from 4,081 metric tonnes in FY 2022–23 to over 16,000 metric tonnes in FY 2024–25.
Textiles and Technical Upgrades
In the textiles sector, exports of Indian man-made fibre (MMF) reached $6 billion in FY 2024–25, while technical textiles exports rose to $3.35 billion—reflecting a growing global appetite for high-quality, specialised fabric solutions.
The Minister concluded the meeting by reiterating the importance of aligning the PLI strategy with India’s broader vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub and achieving sustainable economic self-reliance.