Cold Chain Infrastructure
National Centre for Cold-Chain Development (NCCD)
Cold chain refers to the temperature-controlled supply chain from farm to consumer, including pre-cooling units, cold storage, refrigerated transport (reefer trucks/containers), and ripening chambers. India has one of the world's largest fresh produce sectors but a severely underdeveloped cold chain — approximately 90% of cold chain infrastructure is concentrated in potato and onion cold storage; multi-commodity, modern cold chain is nascent. The National Centre for Cold-Chain Development (NCCD) was established in 2012 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Agriculture to develop standards, training, and policy for the cold chain sector.
- India's cold chain capacity: ~37 million MT (as of recent estimates), but overwhelmingly in potato storage
- Post-harvest losses: 16–18% for fruits; 4–16% for vegetables; USD 8 billion total annual loss
- NCCD: Established 2012; sets cold chain infrastructure standards; coordinates with NHB, APEDA, NABARD
- Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana: Central scheme for agro-processing clusters, cold chain, and food processing infrastructure
- Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): CSS for horticulture development including post-harvest infrastructure
● Tracked since March 08, 2026 · last seen June 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes