Which subsidy scheme fits my Indian cold chain project?

PMKSY (Cold Chain sub-scheme) — up to 35–50% grant on eligible CAPEX for horticulture / dairy / marine cold chain. AIF (Agri Infrastructure Fund) — 3% interest subvention + credit guarantee on loans up to INR 2 cr. NHB — 35% credit-linked back-ended subsidy for horticulture cold storage in general areas (higher in North-East, hilly and scheduled areas). NCDC / SFAC — component-specific support. MoFPI PLI (production-linked incentive) — for food processing including cold chain. Combining schemes depends on each scheme's current rules — confirm eligibility with the implementing agency.

How is Indian pharma cold chain regulated?

CDSCO under Drugs & Cosmetics Act. WHO prequalification of the vaccine itself for UN procurement; WHO PQS covers immunization equipment such as refrigerators and loggers. Schedule Y for clinical trials cold chain. GDP guidelines aligned with WHO TRS 961 / 992 / 1025. State FDA licensing per state (Maharashtra FDA, Karnataka FDA, etc.). IATA CEIV Pharma for airport handling at BLR, DEL, BOM, HYD, MAA.

Offline — reconnect before saving or submitting. Changes on this page have not been sent.

Country Solution — India

India cold chain, refrigeration & HVAC — country solution hub

World's 2nd-largest food producer with 35–40% post-harvest loss and a US$ 15 bn+ cold chain gap. NCCD / PMKSY / AIF-backed sponsors, pharma majors and 3PLs build with ColdMatch across dairy, marine, horticulture, poultry and pharma segments.

Human Global Expert Guidance•Vendor-Neutral Procurement•Team-Led Supplier Outreach•Commercial Confidentiality

Talk to a cold-chain expert on WhatsApp

Get Free Quotes — Prefilled RFQ Equipment Intelligence

Cold storage stock: ~40 M MT capacity (75% single-temp potato); ~5 M MT multi-temp
Cold chain loss: 35–40% on fruit & veg, 20–30% on marine
Market CAGR: ~12–14% (2024–2030 est.)
Grid & energy: State-variable; solar surplus in Gujarat / Rajasthan / TN / Karnataka
Typical project budget: US$ 1–100 M
Key sectors: Dairy, Marine (shrimp, tuna), Horticulture (mango, banana, grape), Poultry, Pharma (world's largest generics), Vaccines
Financing partners: NABARD, SIDBI, NCDC, IFC, AsDB, AIIB, KfW, JICA

Section 1

Infrastructure archetypes — India

Reference infrastructure templates commonly deployed in India. Each links to the matching ColdMatch pillar hub for full engineering scope, CAPEX benchmarks and RFQ.

Multi-temp dairy processing + chilling network (Amul-style)Bulk milk coolers + village-level chilling + processing chillers.Open Vizag / Kochi / Kolkata marine IQF export plantShrimp + tuna, IQF + plate + RSW, US FDA + EU 853/2004 + MPEDA compliant.Open Hyderabad / Ahmedabad pharma GDP cold chain (vaccines, biologics)+2/+8°C + −20°C + −80°C ULT, CDSCO + WHO PQS + IATA CEIV Pharma.Open Mango / banana / grape controlled-atmosphere exportCA storage + pre-cooling + reefer container packing at Nashik / Vijayawada / Nagpur.Open Solar cold rooms — village-level aggregation (PMKSY-eligible)5–50 t/d modular PV + BESS, PMKSY / AIF / PLI subsidies stack.Open

Section 2

Pillar hubs & tools (existing internal links — no URL changes)

Every archetype above connects into the same ColdMatch pillar system that powers global projects. Use these entry points to size, engineer and finance.

Financing models hub — ESCO / DFI / blendedStructured financing families and RFQ handoff for large projects.Open Pharmaceutical cold chain hubGDP / GMP + IQ/OQ/PQ + all pharma temperature bands.Open Mega distribution centersEnterprise cold DC archetypes 20,000–200,000+ pallets.Open Export cold hubs (port / airport / border)IATA CEIV + phytosanitary integrated export infrastructure.Open Refrigeration technology hubNH3, CO2, HFO, cascade and low-GWP system comparisons.Open Solar cold rooms & solar cold storagePV + BESS + hybrid off-grid and behind-the-meter cold rooms.Open Energy optimization & ESCO retrofitVSD, controls, insulation and M&V-based savings capture.Open Cold storage cost benchmarkUS$/m² / pallet CAPEX benchmarks by climate zone.Open RFQ builder — prefilled for this countryComparable EPC + financing bids from suitable suppliers on your brief.Open

FAQ

Country Solution — India — frequently asked

How ColdMatch Group works — independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform — ColdMatch Group is an independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform for industrial refrigeration, cold storage and cold-chain projects from USD $250K+, where the ColdMatch team reviews each buyer brief, contacts suitable third-party suppliers on the buyer's behalf and organizes their responses.

Project-first

Plan the country solution — india project before choosing suppliers

Complete cold-chain outcomes depend on planning, budget realism, timeline discipline and neutral bid comparison — not on picking equipment first.

Project planning checklist

Cover the fundamentals before you brief suppliers.

·Define capacity, temperature bands and throughput
·Confirm site, power, water and permits
·Choose refrigerant strategy and automation level
·Set redundancy, monitoring and validation targets
·List required certifications (GDP, HACCP, BRC, ISO)
·Agree budget envelope and financing route

Full planning checklist (download)Infrastructure Builder

Budget factors

What actually moves the number on a commercial cold-chain project.

·Refrigeration plant + refrigerant choice
·Panels, envelope, floors, doors and structure
·Racking, MHE and automation level
·Controls, monitoring, alarms and BMS
·Redundancy (N, N+1, 2N) and validation
·Country, logistics, duties and installation labour

Budget planning guide Cost benchmarks Financing routes

Typical project timeline

Rule-of-thumb schedule for a commercial cold-chain project.

FEED, scope, RFQ2–4 months
Bid review, contracting1–2 months
Procurement + long-lead3–6 months
Civils, installation4–10 months
Commissioning, validation1–3 months

Project planning guide Master Planner

Common mistakes to avoid

Recurring patterns across hundreds of cold-chain briefs.

·Buying equipment before defining the project
·Under-sizing refrigeration load and standby
·Skipping commissioning, validation and training
·Single-source without a neutral bid comparison
·Ignoring refrigerant regulation and phase-out
·Treating financing as an afterthought

Commercial risk guide Refrigerant phase-out guide

Related resources

Continue the country solution — india project

Project Builders (15 verticals)

Preset the Infrastructure Builder by industry.

Start a neutral RFQ

Structured brief to shortlisted suppliers.

Equipment Intelligence

Compare technologies before buying.

Procurement Academy

Incoterms, FAT/SAT, factory inspection.

Global Project Map

Reference projects worldwide.

Trust Center

How ColdMatch stays supplier-neutral.

ColdMatch Group is the specialized cold-chain platform of Global B2B Group — the worldwide B2B procurement and project ecosystem.

Brief the market on your country solution — india project

One structured RFQ, vendor-neutral to shortlisted suppliers. Prefilled with pillar context — you refine the details. No commitment, no fees.

Compare Suppliers — Prefilled RFQ

Qualify, then request quotes

Take this to a structured refrigeration RFQ

Refrigeration bids are only comparable when refrigerant, duty, evaporating temperature, redundancy and controls are specified. Qualify the design intent, then issue one RFQ.

Technology qualificationNH₃, CO₂ or HFO — CAPEX, OPEX and application fit.RFQ checklistDuty, redundancy, controls and commissioning scope.Project documentation centerAssemble the technical pack before tendering.

Start structured RFQ — free How the process works

Supplier-neutral. Free for buyers and project owners. Best suited to commercial projects from USD $250,000.