Chirag Paswan Highlights PMFME Success Story from Bihar
Synopsis
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan spotlighted Deepak Chaudhary of West Champaran at the PMFME Udyamotsav, whose Covid-era job loss in Rajasthan led him to set up a corn chips unit in Bihar with PMFME Scheme support — now employing local youth, women, and providing farmers a market.
Key Takeaways
Deepak Chaudhary from West Champaran, Bihar lost his job in Rajasthan during the Covid-19 pandemic and returned home to start a corn chips manufacturing unit.
The PMFME Scheme provided support in two phases , helping him expand operations and set up a dedicated packaging unit.
His enterprise now employs local youth and women and provides farmers a direct market for their produce.
Minister Chirag Paswan cited the case at the PMFME Udyamotsav as an example of PM Modi's 'job seeker to job creator' vision being realised on the ground.
The PMFME Scheme , launched in June 2020 under Atmanirbhar Bharat, offers a credit-linked capital subsidy of up to 35 per cent to micro food processing units.
Paswan called on PMFME beneficiaries nationwide to scale enterprises, link with local farmers, and generate employment for youth and women.
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday, July 12, 2026, shared the story of Deepak Chaudhary from West Champaran, Bihar, a beneficiary of the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, calling his journey from job loss during the Covid pandemic to becoming a local employer an inspiring example of turning crisis into enterprise.
Context
Speaking at the PMFME Udyamotsav, Minister Paswan recounted how Deepak Chaudhary lost his job in Rajasthan during the Covid-19 pandemic and was forced to return to his home district of West Champaran. Drawing on skills acquired during his time in Rajasthan, Chaudhary set up a corn chips manufacturing unit in his village, converting personal adversity into a local business venture. The minister described listening to Chaudhary's account as 'prerak' — inspiring.
Paswan noted that support from the PMFME Scheme came in two phases, enabling Chaudhary to expand his unit and establish a dedicated packaging unit. The enterprise now provides employment to local youth and women and offers farmers a direct market linkage for their produce.
Policy Backdrop
The PMFME Scheme was launched in June 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package, administered by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI). It provides a credit-linked capital subsidy of up to 35 per cent to micro food processing enterprises, aiming to formalise, upgrade and scale informal units across the country.
West Champaran is a significant maize-producing district in Bihar, making it a natural fit for agro-processing ventures such as corn chips manufacturing. Bihar, with high agricultural output but historically limited processing infrastructure, has been a focus state for targeted PMFME outreach. The scheme aligns with the government's broader push since 2014 to expand formal food processing capacity and reduce post-harvest losses.
Stakeholders and Impact
Minister Paswan framed Chaudhary's success as a real-world realisation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stated vision of transforming citizens from 'job seekers to job creators' — 'job seeker se job creator'. The corn chips unit now creates livelihoods for local youth and women while simultaneously providing farmers in the area with a reliable market for their maize output, illustrating the multiplier effect the scheme intends to generate.
Paswan used the occasion to issue a direct appeal to PMFME beneficiaries across the country, urging them to scale their enterprises, forge links with local farmers, generate employment for youth and women, and build a new economic identity for their regions. The call signals MoFPI's intent to leverage beneficiary success stories as motivation for wider uptake of the scheme.
What's Next
The ministry is expected to continue holding PMFME Udyamotsav events at the state level to spotlight beneficiary journeys and accelerate scheme awareness. Quarterly progress reports on loan disbursals, beneficiary numbers, and employment generation under PMFME will be closely watched to gauge whether the grassroots momentum exemplified by cases such as Chaudhary's is translating into measurable national outcomes.
For rural districts like West Champaran, the convergence of agricultural raw material availability, scheme-backed capital support, and entrepreneurial initiative points to a replicable model — one the ministry appears keen to document and scale across other states with similar agro-processing potential.
Point of View
A maize-belt district with low processing infrastructure, signals a targeted geographic narrative that serves both policy promotion and political messaging in a key state. By invoking PM Modi's 'job seeker to job creator' framing, Paswan anchors a micro-level outcome to a macro political vision, reinforcing the Atmanirbhar Bharat narrative ahead of potential scheme reviews or budget cycles. The closing call-to-action addressed directly to all PMFME beneficiaries suggests the ministry is building a network-effect strategy — using existing beneficiaries as ambassadors to drive deeper scheme penetration.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the PMFME Scheme and who can apply?
The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme was launched in June 2020 under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package. It provides a credit-linked capital subsidy of up to 35 per cent to existing micro food processing units to help them formalise, upgrade technology and expand capacity. Individual micro entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and farmer-producer organisations in the food processing sector are eligible.
Who is Deepak Chaudhary and what did he achieve under PMFME?
Deepak Chaudhary is a micro entrepreneur from West Champaran, Bihar who lost his job in Rajasthan during the Covid-19 pandemic. He returned to Bihar and used skills gained in Rajasthan to set up a corn chips manufacturing unit in his village. With PMFME Scheme support received in two phases, he expanded the unit and added a packaging facility, creating jobs for local youth, women, and market access for farmers.
What is PMFME Udyamotsav?
PMFME Udyamotsav is an event organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries to celebrate and spotlight the journeys of successful PMFME Scheme beneficiaries, promote scheme awareness, and encourage other micro food processing entrepreneurs across the country.
What did Chirag Paswan say at PMFME Udyamotsav on July 12 2026?
Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan shared the story of Deepak Chaudhary from West Champaran at the PMFME Udyamotsav on July 12, 2026 , calling his journey inspiring. He also issued a nationwide appeal to all PMFME beneficiaries to scale their enterprises, connect with local farmers, and generate employment for youth and women in their regions.
How does the PMFME Scheme help farmers and rural employment?
The PMFME Scheme supports micro food processing units that source raw materials from local farmers, creating a direct market linkage that reduces post-harvest losses. By funding enterprise upgrades and packaging capabilities, the scheme helps units grow and hire local youth and women , boosting rural employment and building agro-processing capacity in districts with high agricultural output.
