21 September 2026
Is There a Subsidy on Apple Grading Machines in India?
The short answer is that we did not find a scheme that subsidises an apple grading machine by itself. Grading machines get support as part of a larger project, usually a pack house or a grading unit, under horticulture and agri-infrastructure schemes. The terms depend on your state and change from year to year, so treat this as a map of where to look, not a promise of what you will receive. The scheme details below were checked in September 2026.
Subsidy is usually paid after the purchase
Most of these schemes are what the guidelines call credit linked and back ended. In plain terms, you buy and install the machine with your own money or a bank loan, and the subsidy is released after the project is completed and inspected. It is not taken off the price you pay the supplier, so plan your cash flow around that.
MIDH, the horticulture mission
The Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) covers post-harvest work, including on-farm pack houses and small scale single product grading and packing lines. Its operational guidelines from April 2025 set cost norms for the larger set-ups. A farm gate pack house is supported at 50 percent, up to Rs 25 lakh per unit. An integrated pack house with conveyor belt sorting, grading and washing is supported at 35 percent in general areas and 50 percent in North Eastern and Himalayan states and some other categories, with a ceiling of Rs 160 lakh. Both have to follow NCCD guidelines.
We did not find a fixed rate for a standalone grading line in that document. Ask your state horticulture department how a grading machine on its own is treated, and which area category your location falls under.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
AIF is bank financing rather than a grant. Eligible projects get a 3 percent a year interest subvention on loans up to Rs 2 crore per project at one location. The Himachal Pradesh agriculture department lists grading units among the eligible post-harvest projects, and farmers, FPOs, primary agricultural credit societies, self help groups and agri-entrepreneurs can apply through the AIF portal.
Check one thing first. The financing period is stated as 8 July 2020 to 31 March 2026, while the scheme as a whole runs to 2032-33. The official portal does not say whether new loans are still being sanctioned after March 2026, so confirm with your bank or the portal before you plan around it.
State departments
State horticulture departments run or administer these schemes, and some add their own. Rates, eligibility and timing differ by state and by season. Your district horticulture office will know what is open right now.
What you will usually need to bring
Departments and banks generally ask for a quotation and technical specification from the supplier, along with a project report. Send us your daily volume, the body material you want (stainless steel or mild steel) and the number of size grades, and we will send a written quotation and machine specification you can attach to the application.
A caution
None of this is financial advice, and the schemes change. Read the current guidelines, or speak to your horticulture office or bank, before you commit to a purchase.
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