New Delhi, Jun 26 (KNN) The central government's Production-Linked Incentive scheme has disbursed Rs 21,534 crore in incentives across multiple sectors, successfully attracting investments totalling Rs 1.76 lakh crore, according to an official statement released following a review meeting conducted by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. During the review meeting, Minister Goyal emphasised the importance of prioritising sectors where India maintains a competitive advantage over other nations. The government highlighted several success stories, particularly in pharmaceutical, bulk drugs, food processing, and textile sectors, which have demonstrated significant export growth under the scheme. While the scheme has driven significant outcomes in capital-intensive industries, participation from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) remains modest. Despite a few benefits trickling down to smaller players, MSMEs have yet to become a focal point in the broader implementation of the scheme. The food processing sector under the PLI scheme has attracted investments worth Rs 9,032 crore, resulting in production valued at Rs 3.8 lakh crore and creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for 3.4 lakh people, demonstrating the scheme's impact on both industrial growth and job creation. Within the food processing category, only 70 MSMEs have directly enrolled under the scheme, while an additional 40 function as contract manufacturers for larger companies, signalling potential but underutilised scope for broader participation. The pharmaceutical sector has emerged as a standout performer, recording cumulative sales of Rs 2.66 lakh crore within the first three years of implementation, with exports accounting for Rs 1.70 lakh crore of this total. The sector's export sales in 2024-25 reached Rs 0.67 lakh crore, representing approximately 27 percent of the country's total pharmaceutical exports for that year. Investment patterns within the pharmaceutical sector show a strong focus on innovation, with 40 percent of the total sector investment of Rs 37,306 crore allocated to research and development activities. The sector has achieved an overall Domestic Value Addition of 83.70 percent as of March 2025, indicating substantial local manufacturing integration. The scheme has facilitated India's transformation from a net importer to a net exporter of bulk drugs, with the country achieving net exports worth Rs 2,280 crore compared to net imports of Rs 1,930 crore in the financial year 2021-22. This shift has also contributed to reducing the gap between domestic manufacturing capacity and demand for critical pharmaceutical products. The scheme has generated cumulative production and sales worth Rs 16.5 lakh crore as of March 2025, spanning 12 key sectors including large-scale electronics manufacturing, IT hardware, bulk drugs, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, telecom and networking products, food processing, white goods, automobiles and auto components, specialty steel, textiles, and drones and drone components.