Business: 13 companies manufacturing air conditioners (ACs) and LED lights have applied for the fourth round of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme with an investment commitment of Rs 1,914 crore. More than half of the applicants are micro, small and medium (MSME) companies.

Applications for the fourth round were taken from September 15 to November 10, 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said on Thursday. One of the 13 applicants is an existing PLI beneficiary, who has committed to invest an additional Rs 15 crore. At the same time, nine applicants have applied for AC equipment manufacturing with a total investment of Rs 1,816 crore. These investments are focused on the production of copper tubes, aluminum stock, compressors, motors, heat exchangers and other high-value components.

Expected to provide employment to 60,000 people
Till now, the PLI scheme for ACs and LED lights has attracted committed investment of Rs 10,335 crore from 80 beneficiaries, the department said. It is expected to generate production worth Rs 1.72 lakh crore and provide 60,000 direct employment. The objective of the scheme is to create a complete ecosystem for AC-LED lights in the country. This will increase domestic value addition from 15-20 per cent to 75-80 per cent, making India a major global manufacturing hub.

Companies will invest in 13 districts of six states
DPIIT said, in the fourth round of the scheme, four applicants have proposed an investment of Rs 98 crore for LED component manufacturing including LED chips, drivers and heat sinks. The proposed investments are spread across six states, covering 13 districts and 23 locations.