Depot Darpan portal launching on May 20

New Delhi

The Central Government will launch a new system called the Depot Darpan portal and mobile app on May 20. This digital platform is being started to make sure food storage depots across India follow high standards of safety, quality, and performance.

This new system will help managers of food warehouses check how well their depots are working. It will cover over 2,200 warehouses, including those of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), and other rented depots from states and private agencies.

The launch event will be led by Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution. Through the portal, depot managers will submit information about their infrastructure using geo-tagged data. This data will then generate automatic ratings and show where improvements are needed.

Supervisors will fully validate the data, and random third-party checks will also be done. Warehouses will be rated based on two things—how strong and safe their buildings are and how well they operate. Star ratings will be given based on both areas.

Depot Darpan uses smart tools like CCTV cameras, IoT sensors for gases and temperature, and fire safety alerts. It helps detect problems like gas leaks or theft early. Some warehouses are testing advanced tech like bag-counting AI, vehicle number plate scanners, and face recognition for security.

The app helps supervisors monitor depots from anywhere and makes review meetings more effective. This move is expected to improve food safety and reduce losses in food storage nationwide.