The production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the food processing sector, with an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore will make the sector very competitive, said Fauzan Alavi, Director at Allanasons, a manufacturer, exporter and supplier of frozen meat and food products.

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Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Alavi said, “I feel this is by far the best policy that could have been rolled out by the government for the food processing sector. Earlier schemes did not have this kind of clarity. Secondly, this will also facilitate people who have this advantage of building brands over a period of time but have been neglected for whatever reasons. It will also help us to remain competitive in the international markets where every penny, every dollar counts today.”

Alavi said that his company is exploring other sectors also such as ready-to-eat, which he thinks is going to be a huge sector in the country.

“There is a study which says around 100 to 50 billion consumers will be added to this sector every year or maybe in the next 2-3 years. This is a huge market that needs to be tapped, he said.

On cold chain and marine business, he said, “Marine exports are over Rs 50,000 crore and with this new policy the government will put a lot of support for infrastructure. Marine will remain top of the charts, apart from that a whole lot of ready-to-eat products will take off.”

He is of the view that the cold chain will be the biggest saviour for this sector in the times to come.

“As a company we have invested heavily into cold chain and we will continue to do that because that is going to be the key for the supply chain management,” he said.

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(Edited by : Ankit Gohel)

First Published:Apr 1, 2021 12:31 PM IST