Food Corporation of India (FCI)

The Food Corporation of India was established on 14 January 1965 under the Food Corporations Act, 1964, with its first office at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu — then a major rice-producing region. FCI's mandate covers three key functions: procurement of food grains at Minimum Support Price (MSP) to ensure remunerative prices for farmers, distribution of food grains through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare schemes, and maintenance of buffer stock and strategic reserves for food security. FCI operates approximately 700 depots across India with a storage capacity of approximately 35 million tonnes. As of 2025-26, FCI procures rice from approximately 20 states and wheat primarily from Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. FCI's operations are funded through the Food Subsidy, which accounts for a significant portion of the Central Government's subsidy bill (approximately Rs 2 lakh crore in FY 2025-26).