Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme
आत्मनिर्भर क्लीन प्लांट प्रोग्राम
A ₹1,766 crore programme setting up 9 world-class Clean Plant Centres across India so that horticulture farmers — mango, apple, citrus, pomegranate, grapes, guava, litchi growers — can buy certified virus-free saplings instead of gambling on infected nursery stock that cuts yields for 15–25 years.
- Total outlay
- ₹1,766 crore (2024–2030)
- ADB co-financing
- $98 million (≈ ₹830 crore)
- Scheme status
- Active
- Clean Plant Centres
- 9 across India
- Crops covered
- Mango, apple, citrus, grapes, pomegranate, guava, litchi, walnut, avocado
- Umbrella scheme
- MIDH (Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture)
- Implementing agencies
- NHB + ICAR
- Certification framework
- Under Seeds Act 1966
Overview
The Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme (CPP) was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 and approved by the Cabinet with an outlay of ₹1,766 crore under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is co-financing the programme with a $98 million (approximately ₹830 crore) loan signed on 29 November 2024. Implementation runs from 2024 to 2030.
The problem it solves is fundamental: a fruit tree planted with a virus-infected sapling produces lower yields and poorer-quality fruit for its entire 15–25 year productive life. India is among the world's top producers of mango, banana, pomegranate and citrus, yet export competitiveness suffers because a large share of nursery stock carries latent viruses that only show symptoms years after planting — by which time the orchard is committed. Without a national certification system, a farmer has no way to verify whether a sapling is clean before buying it.
CPP creates that system. Nine state-of-the-art Clean Plant Centres (CPCs) will be established at existing ICAR research stations across India, each specialising in specific crops: grapes (Pune), apple/almond/walnut (Srinagar & Mukteshwar), citrus (Nagpur & Bikaner), mango/guava/avocado (Bengaluru), mango/guava/litchi (Lucknow), pomegranate (Sholapur), and tropical/sub-tropical fruits (Eastern India). Each CPC maintains virus-free mother plants, runs advanced diagnostic labs, and supplies certified foundation material to large-scale accredited nurseries for multiplication.
A new certification framework under the Seeds Act 1966 will accredit private nurseries, test planting material at every multiplication stage, and issue certification tags that trace each sapling back to the clean mother plant. The programme prioritises affordable access for all farmers regardless of landholding, and actively engages women farmers in planning and implementation.
Scheme highlights
Certified virus-free saplings
A new certification system under the Seeds Act 1966 — every sapling carries a tag tracing it back to a tested, virus-free mother plant.
9 world-class Clean Plant Centres
State-of-the-art diagnostic and tissue-culture labs at ICAR stations across India — from Srinagar (apple) to Bengaluru (mango) to Pune (grapes).
Higher yields for 15–25 years
A virus-free sapling produces more fruit, better quality and fewer disease problems across the entire productive life of the orchard — an investment that pays back for decades.
₹830 crore ADB co-financing
The Asian Development Bank signed a $98 million loan on 29 November 2024 to support the programme — alongside the Central Government's own budget allocation.
Affordable access for all farmers
The programme prioritises affordable clean planting material regardless of landholding size, with specific engagement of women farmers.
Advanced diagnostic testing
Each Clean Plant Centre features cutting-edge virus diagnostic labs — testing planting material at every multiplication stage, not just at the mother-plant level.
What you get
Access to certified disease-free saplings
Horticulture farmers can buy saplings with a certification tag proving the material is virus-free — ending the guesswork of buying from unverified nurseries.
Higher orchard productivity
Virus-free planting material directly translates to higher fruit yields, better quality and fewer disease-related losses across the orchard's 15–25 year life.
Export-grade produce
Clean planting material helps Indian horticulture meet international phytosanitary standards — boosting export competitiveness for mango, grapes, pomegranate and citrus.
Climate-resilient varieties
Clean Plant Centres develop region-specific, climate-adapted clean varieties — addressing rising temperatures and changing pest/disease patterns.
Who is eligible
Both lists come from the notified operational guidelines — meeting the left column is not enough if anything in the right column applies to your family.
You qualify if
- Any horticulture farmer growing fruit crops — mango, apple, citrus, grapes, pomegranate, guava, litchi, walnut, avocado or other fruit crops covered by the programme
- Farmers of all landholding sizes — the programme explicitly prioritises affordable access regardless of holding
- Women farmers — actively engaged in planning and implementation
- Private nurseries seeking accreditation under the new certification framework — to multiply and sell certified clean planting material
- Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives sourcing planting material for members
Excluded — even with land
- The programme does not directly provide subsidies to individual farmers for sapling purchase — it creates the supply of certified material and the certification system. Sapling subsidies continue under the existing MIDH/NHM component
- Crops not covered by the 9 Clean Plant Centres — vegetable, spice and plantation crops are outside the current CPP scope (they continue under MIDH separately)
Where this scheme applies
A central scheme with pan-India coverage — open to eligible farmers in every State and Union Territory.
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — the online form takes ten minutes when nothing is missing.
No individual farmer application
CPP works at the supply-chain level — Clean Plant Centres supply certified material to accredited nurseries, which sell to farmers. Farmers buy from accredited nurseries; no separate scheme application is needed.
For nurseries seeking accreditation
Private nurseries that want to multiply and sell certified clean material apply for accreditation under the new certification framework administered by NHB — infrastructure and capacity criteria apply.
How to apply, step by step
The same six steps apply whether you register yourself online or sit down at a CSC.
- 1
Check if your crop is covered
The 9 Clean Plant Centres cover mango, apple, citrus, grapes, pomegranate, guava, litchi, walnut, avocado and selected tropical/sub-tropical fruits. Verify your crop is in scope.
- 2
Locate an accredited nursery
As CPCs begin producing certified foundation material, accredited nurseries in your region will stock certified saplings. Contact your District Horticulture Officer or NHB regional office for the latest list of accredited nurseries.
- 3
Buy certified saplings with the certification tag
Each certified sapling carries a tag linking it to a tested, virus-free mother plant at a CPC. Verify the tag before purchase — it is your assurance of clean planting material.
- 4
Combine with MIDH/NHM sapling subsidies
The existing MIDH/National Horticulture Mission subsidy for planting material (typically ₹20,000–₹60,000 per hectare depending on the crop) continues alongside CPP. Contact your District Horticulture Officer to apply for the subsidy on certified saplings.
Important dates
Budget announcement
February 2023 (Union Budget 2023-24)
Cabinet approval
2024
₹1,766 crore under MIDH
ADB loan signing
29 November 2024
$98 million
Implementation period
2024 to 2030
7 years
Facts last checked
27 September 2026
Against pib.gov.in and adb.org
Check your eligibility
Straight from the notified criteria. Nothing you enter leaves your phone.
0 of 3 answered
This checker applies the criteria in the official operational guidelines, but it is guidance — only the state government’s verification against the land records is final.
Downloads
Official documents only — everything below is hosted on the government's own servers.
PIB announcement — ₹2,200 crore Clean Plant Program (Budget 2023-24)
Original PIB press release on the Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Program announcement in Union Budget 2023-24.
ADB loan agreement — $98 million (November 2024)
ADB press release on the $98 million loan for Building India's Clean Plant Program.
Official links & helpline
Bookmark the portal itself — no third-party site can release, block or speed up a payment.
- National Horticulture Board (NHB)nhb.gov.in — primary implementing agency for the Clean Plant Programme
- Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)midh.gov.in — umbrella mission under which CPP is implemented
- ADB Project Page — Building India's Clean Plant ProgramADB project page with financing details and implementation documents
- PIB — Transforming Horticulture with CPPPIB press note on how CPP transforms India's horticulture sector
Frequently asked questions
What is the Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Programme?
CPP is a ₹1,766 crore Central Government programme under MIDH, co-financed by a $98 million ADB loan, running from 2024 to 2030. It sets up 9 Clean Plant Centres at ICAR stations across India to produce certified virus-free planting material for fruit crops — mango, apple, citrus, grapes, pomegranate, guava, litchi, walnut and avocado.
Why does virus-free planting material matter?
A fruit tree planted with an infected sapling produces lower yields and poorer-quality fruit for its entire 15–25 year productive life. The virus is invisible at planting time — symptoms appear years later when the orchard is committed. Certified clean material eliminates this risk at the root.
Where are the 9 Clean Plant Centres?
Pune (grapes), Srinagar & Mukteshwar (apple, almond, walnut), Nagpur & Bikaner (citrus), Bengaluru (mango, guava, avocado), Lucknow (mango, guava, litchi), Sholapur (pomegranate), and Eastern India (tropical/sub-tropical fruits). Each is at an existing ICAR research station.
How does a farmer get certified saplings?
Clean Plant Centres produce virus-free mother plants and supply certified foundation material to accredited private nurseries. These nurseries multiply the material and sell certified saplings to farmers — each sapling carries a certification tag tracing it back to the tested mother plant. Contact your District Horticulture Officer for the nearest accredited nursery.
Does CPP give a subsidy on sapling purchase?
CPP itself creates the supply and certification system — it does not directly subsidise individual sapling purchases. However, the existing MIDH/National Horticulture Mission subsidies for planting material (typically ₹20,000–₹60,000 per hectare) continue alongside CPP. Farmers can combine both — buy certified CPP saplings using the MIDH subsidy.
What is the ADB loan for?
The Asian Development Bank approved a $98 million loan signed on 29 November 2024 to co-finance the programme. The loan supports establishing the Clean Plant Centres, equipping diagnostic labs, training staff, and building the certification system infrastructure.
Which crops are covered?
Mango, apple, citrus (orange, lemon, mandarin), grapes, pomegranate, guava, litchi, walnut, avocado and selected tropical/sub-tropical fruits. Vegetable, spice and plantation crops are not in the current CPP scope — they continue to receive support under MIDH separately.
Can a private nursery get accredited under CPP?
Yes. The programme creates a new certification framework under the Seeds Act 1966 that accredits private nurseries meeting infrastructure and capacity standards. Accredited nurseries receive certified foundation material from CPCs and can multiply and sell certified saplings. Contact the National Horticulture Board for accreditation criteria.
Still have questions?
The FAQs above cover the common ones. For anything about your specific application, the ministry helpline undefined is the authoritative answer — and we are happy to point you in the right direction.