Voltas, Blue Star among 38 applicants in 3rd round of PLI scheme for white goods

An official said on Monday that 38 businesses, including Daikin, Voltas, and Blue Star, had filed applications for benefits under the production-linked incentive program for white goods in the third phase, with proposed investments totaling Rs 4,121crore. In July, the government expanded the application window for its Rs 6,238-crore production-linked incentive (PLI) plan for air conditioners (ACs) and LED lights to accommodate more participants after numerous enterprises expressed interest in the initiative.Of the applicants, 20 are for AC components (Rs 3,679 crore) and 18 for LED lights (Rs 442 crore).

Sanjiv, Joint Secretary at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), stated that the strategy benefits the sector by increasing value addition from 25 percent to almost 50 percent. According to the industry, value addition will expand by nearly 80 percent in the future years. He stated that over the next three years (until 2028-29), 38 companies are estimated to produce around Rs 55,877 crore of AC components and LED lights, while directly employing 47,851 people.

The investment footprint under the PLI for White Goods Scheme has grown from 16 to 18 states/UTs, including Odisha and Jammu Kashmir. In 2022-23, the government distributed Rs 80 crore to the recipient enterprises. "This time, many Indian firms have come forward to avail the benefit of the scheme," Sanjiv mentioned.