Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
A programme by Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India
A loan-linked scheme that encourages entrepreneurs, MSMEs and cooperatives to build dairy, meat, feed, breeding, veterinary-drug and wool-processing units.
At a glance
| Best for | Entrepreneurs, MSMEs, producer organisations and dairy cooperatives building processing, feed, breeding or manufacturing units. |
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About Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
AHIDF is the department's main route for enterprises. It is meant to encourage investment in dairy processing and value addition, meat processing and value addition, animal feed plants, breed improvement technology and breed multiplication farms, veterinary vaccine and drug manufacturing, animal waste to wealth management, and primary wool processing. It is a loan scheme, not a grant: the support is tied to finance from a lender. The earlier dairy processing fund was merged into AHIDF on 1 February 2024, so it is no longer a separate scheme.
Check the status first: the department's scheme page states continuation up to 31 March 2026. The operational guidelines say loans were to be disbursed over three years up to that date, that sanctioned projects can be disbursed no later than 31 March 2027, and that the fund's sunset date is 31 March 2033. Neither says whether fresh applications are accepted now.
What you get
- Financing from a lender for an eligible unit, with a credit guarantee available on the facility.
- An interest subvention under the guidelines. The guidelines state a rate only for projects sanctioned before 31 March 2023.
- A cap on the lending rate for MSME-sized projects.
Who can apply
- Individual entrepreneurs, private companies, MSMEs and farmer producer organisations.
- Section 8 companies.
- Dairy cooperatives, since the merger of the earlier dairy fund.
How to apply: applications are made on the AHIDF online portal. Confirm on the portal and the department's scheme page that applications are open before you start.
Where to apply
Other Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India programmes
- NLM Rural Poultry EntrepreneurshipA one-time capital subsidy to set up a parent farm, rural hatchery and mother unit.
- NLM Sheep and Goat Breeding EntrepreneurshipA one-time capital subsidy to set up a sheep or goat breeding unit of 100 to 500 females with 5 to 25 males.
- NLM Piggery EntrepreneurshipA one-time capital subsidy for a pig breeder farm of 50 to 100 sows with 5 to 10 boars.
- NLM Indigenous Horse, Donkey and Camel Breeder FarmA one-time capital subsidy for a breeder farm of indigenous horses, donkeys or camels.
- NLM Feed and Fodder EntrepreneurshipA capital subsidy for value-addition units such as hay, silage, total mixed ration and fodder-block making, and fodder storage.
Everything about Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India