In News:

The Government of India has introduced “Anna-Chakra”, a digital supply chain optimisation tool under the Public Distribution System (PDS), aimed at improving efficiency, reducing costs, and minimizing environmental impact in foodgrain distribution.

Implementation Status

• Implemented in 30 out of 31 States/UTs; yet to be implemented in Manipur.
• States/UTs covered include Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, J&K, Ladakh, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, among others.

Development and Collaboration

• Spearheaded by the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
• Developed in collaboration with:
  • World Food Programme (WFP)
  • Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT-Delhi

Working of Anna-Chakra

• Uses advanced algorithms to identify optimal routes for foodgrain movement across supply chain nodes.
• Covers 4.37 lakh Fair Price Shops (FPSs) and around 6,700 warehouses.
• Integrated with:
  • FOIS (Freight Operations Information System) of Railways through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP).
  • PM Gati Shakti platform, which now houses geo-locations of FPSs and warehouses.

Key Benefits

• Financial Savings: Estimated ?250 crore per annum through reduction in transportation costs.
• Efficiency Gains: Faster delivery and streamlined PDS operations in the world’s largest food security programme benefiting 81 crore citizens.
• Environmental Impact: Reduction in fuel consumption and CO? emissions, aligning with India’s climate commitments.
• Operational Improvement: Ensures seamless coordination among multiple stakeholders, from farmers to FPS dealers.

Significance

Anna-Chakra represents a major leap in digitally enabled governance and logistics management, combining technology, sustainability, and welfare delivery. By cutting costs and carbon emissions while enhancing the efficiency of foodgrain delivery, it strengthens India’s food security architecture under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).