Can I stack AIF with horticulture or marketing capital subsidy schemes?

In many cases you can combine the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund with another capital subsidy scheme on the same project, and this convergence is actually encouraged for assets like cold storage. The typical structure is, a capital subsidy scheme such as a horticulture mission or a marketing infrastructure scheme gives an upfront grant on part of the project cost, and the AIF gives the 3 percent interest subvention and credit guarantee on the loan portion. Done well, you get a grant plus a cheaper loan, which makes the project far more affordable. The hard rule to respect is that you generally cannot claim the same cost item from two schemes at once, that is double-dipping and it will be disallowed. So the project cost has to be split cleanly, the part funded by the grant is excluded from the part that gets the AIF subvention, or the schemes are layered according to their convergence guidelines. This is exactly where a good bank and a knowledgeable project consultant earn their keep, because the structuring has to be correct on paper. Also confirm timing, some grant schemes are claimed after the asset is built and verified, which affects your cash flow. Before you finalise the funding mix, confirm the specific convergence rules for your chosen schemes on the official AIF agriinfra portal, with the horticulture or marketing department, and with your lending bank. This is general information and not financial advice.