{
  "purpose": "The investor's route through India's incentive stack, assembled from everything this program has verified: how an investor goes from 'which schemes apply to my sector' to registered applications, approvals and incentive claims -- using NSWS as the spine, with the scheme catalog for applicability, the registry for window status, per-scheme portals and ministry connects for execution, and the repo's seven-gate lifecycle for the statutory path. Includes the candor layer an investor brochure never carries: disbursal reality by scheme grade, attrition precedents, and which official pages to distrust.",
  "retrieved": "2026-07-20",
  "method": "Synthesized from the site-verified ministry incentive catalog (16 ministries + NSWS, 2026-07-20), the scheme registry (windows/closures), the PLI report card (disbursal grades), and the project workflow schema (seven statutory gates). Portal URLs and contacts are as verified on government sites; NSWS flow verified in-session on nsws.gov.in.",

  "workflow_steps": [
    {"step": 1, "name": "Locate your sector's incentive set", "what": "Match your sector to the applicable instruments: production-linked (mostly closed windows -- MPMS/ECMS are the live electronics lanes), capex subsidies (SPECS-era closed; DoP SPI/SMDI, UNNATI, state packages open), park infrastructure (BHAVYA, PM MITRA, pharma/med-device parks -- units apply to SPVs), VGF (gasification, offshore wind, UDAN), credit/guarantees (CGTMSE, ECLGS 5.0, exporter guarantees under EPM), duty instruments (RoDTEP/RoSCTL/EPCG/SEZ; SPMEPCI for EVs), and price-support (EBP/SATAT offtake).", "tool": "Ministry incentive catalog + master sector scorecard", "investor_note": "The five-year register shows the state now pays for INPUTS (land, credit, risk, capex) more than output -- if you missed a PLI window, the live money is in capex/cluster/credit lanes."},
    {"step": 2, "name": "Check the window before anything else", "what": "Verify the application window is actually open -- on the SCHEME PORTAL, not the ministry page (pages are provably stale; the E-DRIVE 'closure' that turned out to be an extension is the standing example). Open as of 20-Jul-2026: UNNATI (to 30-Sep-2026), Coal Gasification 2026 Round-1, DoP API-CF + SMDI calls, MoFPI cold-chain/CEFPPC/OG, ECMS (extended), ALMM enlistment, AHIDF/NLM loans, Steel R&D, NTTM rolling.", "tool": "Scheme registry + catalog OPEN flags; NSWS gateway notices (it carried the only formal IFLDP closure notice)", "investor_note": "PLI windows are almost all closed; successors (MPMS) and later rounds (Steel 1.2-style) are the re-entry points -- track Cabinet approvals, not ministry pages."},
    {"step": 3, "name": "Structure the entity and FDI route", "what": "Foreign investors: confirm sector FDI cap/route (automatic vs government approval via FIFP); if any investor in the chain touches a land-border country, the amended Press Note 3 Beneficial-Owner test (Cabinet, 10-Mar-2026, PRID 2237806) applies to the whole structure -- now with defined BO criteria. Semicon 2.0 explicitly admits OCI-owned companies in the design pillar.", "tool": "DPIIT FDI policy + PN3 amendment; this repo's FDI-sourcing country strategies", "investor_note": "State-wise FDI data credits your registered office, not your factory -- expect your investment to 'appear' in the wrong state in official statistics."},
    {"step": 4, "name": "Enter through NSWS", "what": "Register at nsws.gov.in (DPIIT/Invest India; 32 ministries + 34 States/UTs live) -> run the Know Your Approvals (KYA) questionnaire to generate your personalized central + state approval checklist -> apply for approvals through the single window -> use the six scheme gateways (Vehicle Scrapping, Ethanol, IFLDP, Solar PLI, Green Hydrogen, PM GatiShakti) where your scheme has one: each carries validated documents, nodal contacts and an apply flow.", "tool": "nsws.gov.in -- Central Approvals, State Approvals, Government Schemes, KYA", "investor_note": "NSWS helpline 1800-102-5841 (Mon-Sat 9-6); contactus-nsws[at]investindia[dot]org[dot]in; weekday 3-4pm technical grievance connect. IEM Part A (industrial entrepreneur memorandum) for manufacturing is filed via the G2B/NSWS stack -- this is gate 2 of the lifecycle and the basis on which implementation is later measured."},
    {"step": 5, "name": "Apply on the scheme's own portal", "what": "Most incentive schemes run dedicated portals with Project Management Agencies: electronics ECMS ecms.meity.gov.in and MPMS (window TBN); IT-HW 2.pliithw.com; telecom pli-telecom.udyamimitra.in; White Goods pliwhitegoods.ifciltd.com; UNNATI unnati.dpiit.gov.in; BHAVYA nicdc.in/bhavya; textiles pli.texmin.gov.in; food PLISFPI plimofpi.ifciltd.com + SAMPADA component portals; livestock AHIDF ahidf.udyamimitra.in and NLM nlm.udyamimitra.in; solar via SECI/IREDA tenders; hydrogen SIGHT via SECI; gasification via Coal Ministry RFPs; startups startupindia.gov.in; exports via DGFT e-platform (RoDTEP/EPCG/EPM).", "tool": "Portal per scheme (full list in the ministry catalog)", "investor_note": "PMA contacts are the real ministry connect for PLI-family schemes: IFCI (LSEM/IT-HW/White Goods/Food: pli[at]ifciltd[dot]com, pliithw[at]ifciltd[dot]com), C-DAC (DLI), SECI/IREDA (solar/hydrogen), NICDC (BHAVYA/corridors), state SPVs (PM MITRA, drug/device parks), Empowered Committees (MAI)."},
    {"step": 6, "name": "Clear the statutory gates in parallel", "what": "The repo's seven-gate lifecycle is your critical path: IEM Part A (intent) -> land (state SPV / BHAVYA / PM MITRA plug-and-play parks compress this) -> Environmental Clearance via PARIVESH (parivesh.nic.in -- the EC register this repo showed correlates 0.96 with actual implementation; industrial ECs cluster in Gujarat 31%) -> build -> IEM Part B at commercial production (the filing that makes your investment 'real' in official statistics) -> incentive claims begin.", "tool": "PARIVESH portal; state single windows (linked from NSWS State Approvals)", "investor_note": "Choose states with demonstrated conversion: Gujarat runs the full chain at 33.8% of national implementation with a 178% intent-to-implementation ratio; the EC pipeline depth (ToR stage) is the best forward indicator this program found."},
    {"step": 7, "name": "Claim -- with calibrated expectations", "what": "Claims run annually against incremental sales (PLI), on commissioning+1y (solar), per-contract (SBFAS ~14%), per-transaction (UDAN VGF), or per-loan (subventions). Calibrate to the report card: Pharma (A) and Electronics (A-) actually pay; Telecom/Food/MedDev pay modestly; Auto is accelerating from a low base; Steel/Textiles pay thinly; ACC has paid zero in five years. Programme-wide, ~15% of PLI outlay had been disbursed after five years.", "tool": "PLI report card grades + scheme registry closure/attrition record", "investor_note": "Precedents that matter to underwriting: 14 of 58 steel projects withdrew; White Goods quietly went 85->80 beneficiaries; an ACC awardee was removed; Drones PLI simply expired. Model the incentive as upside, not base case -- except where the instrument pays on investment (capex/VGF) rather than output."},
    {"step": 8, "name": "Monitor the policy surface", "what": "Windows move (ECMS extended; PLI Textiles amended thrice in a year; E-DRIVE extended segment-wise), successors arrive via Cabinet (MPMS, Semicon 2.0 on one day), and new lanes open quarterly (~Rs 1.9 lakh cr of 2026 non-PLI instruments). Track the Cabinet register -- this repo's PIB index makes it a SQL query -- and re-verify your scheme's portal each quarter.", "tool": "pib_index.sqlite (--update quarterly); this repo's scheme registry refresh", "investor_note": "The E20 decision point (31-Oct-2026), ALMM List-II window (31-Dec-2026), UNNATI close (30-Sep-2026) and Food Processing sunset (FY27) are the nearest dated triggers on the calendar."}
  ],

  "ministry_connects": [
    {"who": "NSWS / Invest India", "contact": "1800-102-5841 (Mon-Sat 9-6) - contactus-nsws[at]investindia[dot]org[dot]in - weekday 3-4pm technical connect", "for": "Single-window registration, KYA, approval routing, scheme gateways"},
    {"who": "IFCI Ltd (PMA)", "contact": "pli[at]ifciltd[dot]com - pliithw[at]ifciltd[dot]com - portals pliwhitegoods/plimofpi.ifciltd.com", "for": "PLI LSEM/MPMS-era claims, IT Hardware, White Goods, Food Processing"},
    {"who": "MeitY schemes division", "contact": "ecms-meity[at]meity[dot]gov[dot]in; ISM via ism.gov.in", "for": "ECMS, Semicon 2.0, DLI (C-DAC nodal)"},
    {"who": "DoT", "contact": "ddgic-dot[at]gov[dot]in - pli-telecom.udyamimitra.in - ttdf.usof.gov.in", "for": "Telecom PLI, TTDF grants, testing-cost reimbursement"},
    {"who": "MNRE / SECI / IREDA", "contact": "IREDA cmd[at]ireda[dot]in +91-11-24682206-19; MNRE 011-24360707 (both via NSWS solar gateway)", "for": "Solar PLI tranches, SIGHT hydrogen, offshore wind VGF, ALMM"},
    {"who": "DoP", "contact": "pharma-dept.gov.in /schemes (live calls); prip.pharma-dept.gov.in", "for": "Pharma PLIs, SPI/RPTUAS/API-CF, SMDI, PRIP, park SPVs"},
    {"who": "State park SPVs", "contact": "Via PM MITRA (7 states), Bulk Drug Parks (GJ/HP/AP), MedDev Parks (HP/MP/TN/UP), BHAVYA (NICDC)", "for": "Plug-and-play land + state incentive layering (states top up central schemes 40-50% in semiconductor cases)"},
    {"who": "DGFT", "contact": "dgft.gov.in/CP - Niryat Bandhu mentoring; regional authorities", "for": "IEC, RoDTEP/RoSCTL scrips, EPCG/AA, Export Promotion Mission"},
    {"who": "Udyamimitra (SIDBI stack)", "contact": "ahidf.udyamimitra.in - nlm.udyamimitra.in - pli-telecom.udyamimitra.in", "for": "AHIDF/NLM loans+subvention, telecom PLI portal"}
  ],

  "candor_for_investors": [
    "Three-numbers discipline: FDI inflow, committed investment and disbursed incentive are different numbers -- never let a pitch conflate them (this repo's core editorial rule).",
    "Verify on portals, not pages: six ministry scheme pages were provably stale in the 2026-07-20 sweep; two ministry domains are dead; one ministry's scheme list doesn't render. NSWS notices and scheme portals are the reliable surfaces.",
    "Applicant transparency is bimodal: some schemes publish beneficiary lists (DoP), many publish nothing (Bulk Drugs/Solar/ACC beneficiaries have never been named in PIB). Expect limited comparables for underwriting.",
    "The state layer is real money: states top up central capex schemes (e.g. 40-50% additions on semiconductor subsidies) -- the state single windows hang off NSWS State Approvals; hub choice materially changes the package.",
    "Where incentives pay on OUTPUT, model slow: ~15% of PLI outlay disbursed in five years, with grade-A exceptions (Pharma, Electronics). Where they pay on INVESTMENT (capex/VGF/parks/credit), cash arrives with the build."
  ],
  "see_also": ["data/ministry_incentive_catalog_2026-07-19.json", "data/scheme_registry_2026-07-19.json", "data/pli_report_card_2026-07-19.json", "data/project_workflow_schema_2026-07-19.json", "data/parivesh_ec_pipeline_2026-07-19.json"]
}