Food Testing Laboratory Scheme (PMKSY) — 50% / 70% Grant on Lab Equipment up to ₹5 Crore for Private Food Testing Labs, Technical Civil Works, NABL Accreditation Fee, Mandatory LIMS, Promoter Equity and Net-Worth Rules, and the Application Process

Food that is exported, or sold under an FSSAI licence, must be tested against national and importing-country standards — pesticide residues, aflatoxin, heavy metals, microbiology, adulterants. The scheme builds that testing capacity by funding new NABL-accreditable laboratories in the private sector (and upgrading government labs), so that Indian food can be certified to international standards and exported with confidence. It is implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries under PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana through EOI windows.

• •Private-sector entities — companies, LLPs, partnerships, proprietorships, FPOs, co-operatives, universities and institutions — setting up a new food testing laboratory; existing private labs are not eligible for the private-lab window (government labs can seek upgrading).
• •Promoter equity of at least 20% of the project cost (10% for SC/ST applicants); the promoter's/entity's net worth must be at least equal to the grant sought; a term loan from a scheduled bank/FI is compulsory.
• •Scoring: proposals are marked by the technical committee — SC/ST applicants and difficult-area proposals qualify at a lower cut-off (the video cites 45%); women applicants get bonus marks in evaluation.
• •The lab must commit to NABL accreditation within the stated period and to FSSAI notification/recognition as a food testing laboratory, and to run for the lock-in period.

1. 1EOI window on the PMKSY portal: online application with the DPR (scope of tests and accreditation plan, equipment list with quotations, technical civil works, LIMS, staffing with qualified analysts, projections), KYC and constitution documents, net-worth certificate, bank in-principle sanction, land/lease documents.
2. 2Processing fee: a one-time non-refundable fee by demand draft in favour of the Pay & Accounts Officer, MoFPI, New Delhi (the video cites ₹10,000 general and ₹15,000 for the SC/ST category — confirm the amount in the EOI).
3. 3Technical committee evaluation → Project Approval Committee review → approval letter with conditions and the implementation schedule.
4. 4Bank guarantee/performance security of 5% of the grant, valid for the implementation period plus 60 days, submitted before the first release.
5. 5Implementation: procurement of new equipment from quoted vendors, installation, LIMS, recruitment, NABL application; grant released in instalments against CA-certified expenditure and bank disbursement, with inspection; the accreditation-fee reimbursement on receipt of the NABL certificate.
6. 6Post-completion: NABL accreditation, FSSAI recognition, and the reporting the ministry prescribes during the lock-in period.