PLI Scheme Powers Rs 16.5 Lakh Cr Output, 12 Lakh Jobs - Guess Which Sectors Benefited the Most?

India must prioritise sectors where it holds a competitive edge and work to resolve stakeholder challenges to boost exports, said Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, while chairing a high-level review meeting on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.

The minister highlighted the strategic role of the PLI initiative in achieving the vision of a self-reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and called for a five-year roadmap to scale investment and disbursements.

“India must focus on the sectors in which it has a competitive edge over other countries and address the problems faced by stakeholders so that the country’s exports can grow,” Goyal stated during the meeting.

Rs. 1.76 Lakh Cr Investment, Rs 16.5 Lakh Cr Output
The PLI scheme, operational across 14 strategic sectors, has attracted Rs 1.76 lakh crore in investments, generated over Rs 16.5 lakh crore in production/sales, and created more than 12 lakh direct and indirect jobs as of March 2025.
 

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Top Performing Sectors Under PLI

Pharmaceuticals
The pharma sector alone clocked Rs 2.66 lakh crore in cumulative sales, with exports worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore in the first three years. In FY25, export sales reached Rs 67,000 crore, 27% of India’s total pharma exports. With 83.7% domestic value addition and Rs 15,102 crore invested in R&D, this sector leads the PLI impact chart.

Food Processing
The sector saw Rs 9,032 crore in investments, generating Rs 3.8 lakh crore in sales and 3.4 lakh jobs. The PLI millet push caused millet-based product sales to grow 25 times between FY21 and FY25. MSMEs played a large role—70 directly enrolled, and 40 more as contract manufacturers—boosting innovation and rural incomes.

Textiles
India’s MMF exports reached $6 billion in FY25, up from $5.7 billion in FY24. Technical textiles also saw a jump to $3.36 billion, affirming India’s global competitiveness in synthetic and high-performance fabrics.

PLI Scheme Impact So Far
Implemented across 14 key sectors, the scheme has already disbursed Rs 21,534 crore in incentives, covering electronics, IT hardware, auto components, white goods, steel, drones, and more. The success has prompted calls for more structured planning.
 

Goyal emphasized the need for a 5-year roadmap on investments and disbursements and pushed Ministries to collaborate with NICDC to resolve infrastructure bottlenecks.

Skilling with Purpose: Quality Over Quantity
Apart from manufacturing gains, Goyal underscored a critical shift in India’s skill-building strategy.

Ministries should focus on creating quality skilled manpower instead of focusing on quantity, he noted, pushing for export-ready, innovation-driven human capital.