The Government of India is set to unveil a digital-first warehousing solution—Depot Darpan.
Scheduled for launch on 20 May 2025 by the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the platform is poised to revolutionise the country’s grain storage ecosystem through an intelligent blend of automation, real-time analytics, and data integrity. Conceived by the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Depot Darpan will digitise the operations of 2,278 grain depots managed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), and various state agencies. This integrated system will operate via both a web portal and a mobile application, providing a unified digital command to monitor and assess the country’s critical warehousing infrastructure.
At its core, Depot Darpan promotes evidence-based decision-making and granular oversight. Every warehouse in the system will undergo a two-pronged evaluation: infrastructural standards—such as ventilation, structural integrity, fire safety, and compliance—and operational efficiency metrics including inventory turnover, manpower efficiency, and storage losses. Each facility will be assigned a dynamic star rating based on its performance, updated continuously through automated data feeds and human oversight. The programme is firmly anchored in the principles of sustainability, transparency, and efficiency. Leveraging advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and geospatial tagging, the initiative is a bold step toward a climate-conscious and digitally competent Public Distribution System (PDS). Smart sensors will monitor ambient conditions like temperature and humidity, crucial to preventing spoilage of stored foodgrains. Carbon dioxide and phosphine gas detectors will help identify infestations and fumigation risks, safeguarding both workers and food stock.
Security features have also been fortified. Automated number plate recognition and facial recognition systems will monitor movement within depots, reducing manual dependency and enhancing perimeter integrity. Real-time alerts on unauthorised access or early smoke detection can avert disasters before they unfold. Inventory management has been reimagined too—with AI-driven bag counting eliminating human error and slashing reporting time. To maintain transparency, depot managers are required to upload geo-tagged infrastructure and operations data. This input is mandatorily validated by supervisory officers, and randomly audited by independent third parties to ensure that on-ground realities align with digital claims. Policy makers and senior officials will have access to depot performance dashboards around the clock, enabling swift, fact-based interventions.
By marrying governance with technology, Depot Darpan reflects a bold reimagining of India’s warehousing future—one that is intelligent, scalable, and deeply aligned with the country’s broader sustainability commitments. As food security becomes increasingly inseparable from smart infrastructure, initiatives like Depot Darpan are not only timely but vital. It sets a precedent for how public utilities can leverage emerging tech to uphold equity, transparency, and resilience in times of growing climate volatility and rising population demand.
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