Subsidy for Orthodox & Speciality Tea Unit for Plant & Machinery under the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme

The "Subsidy for Orthodox & Speciality Tea Unit for Plant & Machinery" forms part of the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), introduced in 2020 by the Finance (Institutional Finance) Department, Government of Assam. The scheme seeks to strengthen the long-term financial stability of the state's tea industry and support its modernisation. A key objective is to encourage manufacturers to move away from the conventional Crush, Tear, Curl (CTC) method and adopt Orthodox and Speciality tea production, which is expected to improve the competitiveness and premium standing of Assam tea internationally.

Implementation of ATISIS, including this subsidy, is shared between the Finance Department and the Industries & Commerce Department, Government of Assam. At the ground level, commercial banks and District Industries & Commerce Centres (DICCs) serve as implementing agencies. Applications are submitted through a dedicated online portal, and eligible reimbursements are credited directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts via a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism. The subsidy is intended to encourage capital investment in advanced processing technology, with the aim of enhancing product quality, expanding export opportunities, and safeguarding the livelihoods dependent on the Assam tea sector.

The application for the "Subsidy for Orthodox & Speciality Tea Unit for Plant & Machinery" is handled entirely online through a dedicated portal. The procedure starts with **New User Registration** on the official ATISIS portal. Applicants must supply basic information such as their name, mobile number, and email address, and set up a secure username and password. Mobile numbers are authenticated through an OTP, followed by a Captcha Code entry. After the account is activated via an email link, users are required to log in and upload all necessary supporting documents in the specified formats, along with complete unit details covering location, type of tea production, and capacity, and then wait for registration approval.

Once registration is approved, applicants may move to the **Application Process**. This entails logging into the portal, accessing the "Apply for Benefits" section, and choosing the relevant scheme component. The applicant must then carefully complete the prescribed application form, making sure every mandatory field is filled. A key step is uploading all supporting documents as required by the portal, strictly following file format and size limits. It is essential to check all entered details for accuracy and completeness prior to final submission. After submitting the application online, applicants are urged to record the application reference number and retain a copy of the submitted form and confirmation message for future reference and tracking.

The **Application Status Tracking** function enables beneficiaries to log in to the portal and follow the progress of their application through different verification stages. SMS alerts are sent regularly to keep applicants informed of important milestones, such as registration approval, application status changes, and ultimately, fund release. For any technical assistance during registration or application, applicants may contact the provided email address. Following successful verification and approval, the **Disbursement Process** is started by the Finance Department, which transfers the benefit amount directly to the beneficiary's registered bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with SMS alerts notifying the fund disbursement.

The implementing agencies—namely the Finance Department, Industries & Commerce Department, and District Industries & Commerce Centres—scrutinise each application against the eligibility criteria and the documents provided. Applicants receive updates on their application status via the online portal and SMS alerts. Verification proceeds through multiple stages, after which funds are released to qualifying units.