This administrative rollout follows highly successful pilot project trials executed earlier this year to test system durability.

The central government has launched an initiative introducing mandatory QR codes on Food Corporation of India grain bags to systematically combat black marketing.

By scanning individual sacks during transit and storage, food department officials can instantly verify each bag's precise procurement center, specific purchasing agency, and crop session. This robust end-to-end oversight successfully eliminates systemic leaks, prevents illegal bag recycling, and streamlines subsidy management.

To scale these transparency benefits, the Union Food Ministry is actively expanding the digital tracking framework across key distribution regions. During the current marketing season, the technology will encompass approximately twenty lakh tonnes of milled rice across selected districts in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha.

Under this expanded protocol, Andhra Pradesh will format ten lakh tonnes of grain with QR tags, while Telangana and Odisha will each contribute five lakh tonnes. This administrative rollout follows highly successful pilot project trials executed earlier this year to test system durability.

The tracking technology was thoroughly validated on rice shipments in Andhra Pradesh between December 2025 and January 2026, and on wheat procurement across Punjab during April and May 2026. Ultimately, tracking grains directly to fair price shops via electronic Point of Sale devices ensures high-quality distribution and enables automated billing systems for smoother operations.