On May 20, 2025, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi, launched three transformative digital initiatives—Depot Darpan Portal, Anna Mitra, and Anna Sahayata—to strengthen India’s Public Distribution System (PDS). These initiatives aim to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility in delivering subsidized food grains to over 81 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act.
Depot Darpan: Driving Efficiency in Warehousing
The Depot Darpan Portal is a digital self-assessment and monitoring platform designed to elevate food grain depots to the highest standards of warehousing excellence. By leveraging advanced technologies like IoT sensors, CCTV surveillance, and live video analytics, the portal enables real-time monitoring of environmental and inventory conditions. It assigns a Composite Rating based on infrastructural and operational parameters, including safety standards, storage efficiency, and profitability.
Economic and Operational Impact
According to Shri Pralhad Joshi, Depot Darpan is expected to save approximately ₹275 crore in Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots through process efficiencies and generate ₹140 crore in additional income for Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) through optimized space utilization. To address infrastructural gaps, the government has allocated ₹1000 crore for FCI and ₹280 crore for CWC to upgrade warehousing facilities to an “Excellent” grading.
| Initiative | Objective | Financial Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Depot Darpan (FCI) | Process efficiencies in FCI depots | Savings of ₹275 crore |
| Depot Darpan (CWC) | Optimized space utilization | Income augmentation of ₹140 crore |
| Infrastructure Upgrades | Upgrade to “Excellent” grading | ₹1000 crore (FCI) + ₹280 crore (CWC) |
Anna Mitra: Empowering PDS Stakeholders
The Anna Mitra mobile app is designed to empower key stakeholders in the Public Distribution System. For Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers, it provides access to stock receipts, monthly sales reports, and timely alerts. District Food and Supply Officers (DFSOs) can monitor FPS performance, track grievances, and access beneficiary data, while Food Inspectors can conduct geo-tagged inspections and verify stock distribution accuracy. Currently rolled out in Assam, Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Punjab, the app is available in Hindi and English, with plans for nationwide expansion.
Enhancing Accountability
By enabling real-time data access and geo-tagged inspections, Anna Mitra ensures greater accountability and transparency across the PDS supply chain, Ascertain, ensuring compliance with Legal Metrology Rules and promoting fairness in food grain distribution.
Anna Sahayata: Citizen-First Grievance Redressal
The Anna Sahayata platform is an advanced grievance redressal system for 81 crore PMGKAY beneficiaries. Built on accessibility, accountability, and efficiency, it uses modern tools like WhatsApp, IVRS, and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to simplify grievance lodging. Currently operational in Gujarat, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh in five languages—Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu, Bangla, and English—it is set for pan-India deployment.
Strengthening Food Security
Anna Sahayata ensures that grievances from Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) beneficiaries are addressed promptly, aligning with the government’s vision of a citizen-centric PDS. This initiative complements the One Nation One Ration Card scheme, which enhances portability by allowing beneficiaries to access subsidized food grains anywhere in India.
India’s Robust PDS Infrastructure
Shri Pralhad Joshi highlighted India’s extensive PDS network, with over 5.38 lakh Fair Price Shops, serving a population larger than some nations. He noted that the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey indicates a 50% decline in household food spending, attributed to improved access to essentials like milk, eggs, pulses, and fish. The distribution of fortified rice further strengthens nutritional security, even amidst global inflationary pressures.
Key Highlights
- Launched on May 20, 2025, Depot Darpan, Anna Mitra, and Anna Sahayata aim to transform India’s Public Distribution System.
- Depot Darpan to save ₹275 crore in FCI depots and generate ₹140 crore in CWC warehouses through efficiency and optimization.
- ₹1000 crore for FCI and ₹280 crore for CWC allocated for infrastructure upgrades.
- Anna Mitra empowers FPS dealers, DFSO officers, and Food Inspectors in Assam, Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Punjab.
- Anna Sahayata serves 81 crore PMGKAY beneficiaries with grievance redressal in Gujarat, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh.
- One Nation One Ration Card enhances portability and transparency in PDS.
- India’s PDS network includes over 5.38 lakh Fair Price Shops, ensuring food security for 80 crore individuals.