§1What this business is

Ingredients are weighed, the oil phase (almond oil, fats, oleic acid, emollients) and the water phase are prepared and heated, then blended in a homogeniser mixer into a smooth cream with colour, wetting agents and perfume. The cream is filled and crimped into tubes and labelled. Almond creams are sold for even skin tone, dryness and tan.

Capacity: 1,300 tubes of 100 ml a day on a 10-hour shift; report takes 30% capacity in year 1.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone with cosmetics or FMCG distribution experience and access to a qualified chemist.

Who it is not for

Someone without a plan for distribution and brand building.

Advantages

  • Skin-care market is growing, especially among young buyers
  • Almond is a trusted, easy-to-sell ingredient
  • Compact plant with tube filling and labelling
  • Low break-even (29%) in the report

Drawbacks

  • Wages and staff salaries are a big cost
  • Branded creams dominate shops
  • Needs a cosmetics licence and careful labelling of claims
  • Thin net margin (5–6%)

Skills you need

  • Cream formulation and emulsion control
  • Clean manufacturing practice
  • Packaging and labelling compliance
  • Retail and online distribution

Why difficulty 3/5: Simple process, but licensing and brand-led selling take effort.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Young and urban skin-care buyers
  • Rural and small-town households

How it sells

  • Cosmetic and general stores
  • Pharmacies
  • Online marketplaces

Good to know

  • The report quotes India's skin-care market at USD 1.6 billion in 2017, expected to reach USD 2.7 billion by 2023.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Homogeniser mixer1₹4,75,000
Labelling machine1₹2,00,000
Tube filling and crimping machine1₹1,90,000
Storage tank1₹1,10,000
Sigma mixer1₹95,000
Transfer pump1₹45,000

From: PMEGP sample project report — Almond Cream Production Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Almond oil, other oils and fatsoil phase
  • Oleic acid and emollientsoil phase
  • Wateraqueous phase
  • Colouring agents, wetting agents and perfumesfinishing ingredients
  • Tubes (100 ml) and labelspackaging

From: PMEGP sample project report — Almond Cream Production Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

§5Licences & registration

  1. Cosmetics manufacturing licence from the state drug controller
  2. Udyam
  3. GST
  4. Pollution consent as per state category
  5. Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
  6. Trademark for the brand (optional)

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP sample project at ₹17.01 L; fits a MUDRA Tarun Plus loan; CGTMSE for collateral-free cover.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Plant & machinery ₹11.15 L + furniture ₹0.80 L + working capital ₹5.06 L = ₹17.01 L. Land own or rented. Finance: own ₹1.70 L, term loan ₹10.76 L, working capital ₹4.55 L.

Working capital: Working capital ₹5.06 L, of which ₹4.55 L is bank finance; 10 days' stock and 12 days' credit to buyers.

Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Export council / board: CHEMEXCIL

  • The report prints no HS code; confirm the ITC(HS) line with DGFT before exporting.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Almond oil price rises
  • Product claim or labelling violations
  • Brand competition
  • Batch spoilage

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working almond cream unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Cosmetics manufacturing licence from the state drug controller, Udyam), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect

§12Watch

There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.

Want to start Almond Cream?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. PMEGP sample project report — Almond Cream Production Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.