§1What this business is
Leaves from local farmers are soaked, brushed, washed in chlorinated mineral water, trimmed and fed to a pulp remover; the inner gel is juiced, heated to 50–70 °C with pectolytic enzyme and permitted preservatives, rested 12 hours, filtered, and filled into washed bottles. Health-conscious buyers drink it for digestion, liver and skin benefits.
Capacity: 400 litres a day; 1,20,000 litres a year at full capacity (report plans 60% in year 1 to 80% in year 5).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A rural entrepreneur or FPO near aloe farms with access to health-store and online sales.
Who it is not for
Someone without a cold, clean processing set-up or steady leaf supply.
Advantages
- Growing health-drink market
- Aloe is grown locally on dry land
- Small team of 8
- Same plant can also make aloe gel
Drawbacks
- Leaves lose quality within hours of harvest
- Bottles are a big share of material cost
- Margins are thin in the first two years
- Health claims on the label are tightly regulated
Skills you need
- Food hygiene and processing
- Grower contracts
- FSSAI compliance and labelling
- Retail and online distribution
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple machines, but perishable input and food-safety rules.
§3Market
Who buys
- Health-conscious households
- Ayurvedic and health-food stores
- Gyms and wellness centres
How it sells
- Health and grocery stores
- Pharmacies
- Online marketplaces
Good to know
- The report quotes India's aloe vera market at USD 23.72 million in 2017, projected to reach USD 38.68 million by 2024.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Aloe leaf washing unit | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Ultrasound sterilizer | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Aloe leaf pulp-removing machine, 125 kg/hr | 1 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Juicer, 125 kg pulp/hr | 1 | ₹40,000 |
| Mixing tank, 500 litres | 1 | ₹1,75,000 |
| Homogeniser | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Filter | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Bottle filling machine | 1 | ₹1,60,000 |
| Conveyor | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Storage tanks, 500 litres | 2 | ₹2,00,000 |
| Leaf-cutting table | 1 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Other equipment and hand tools | — | ₹15,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Aloe Vera Juice Making Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Fresh aloe vera leaves350 tonnes a year at ₹20,000/tonne at full capacity
- 500 ml bottles2,00,000 a year at ₹10 each
- Calcium hypochlorite (disinfection)1,800 kg a year at ₹140/kg
- Permitted preservatives₹1,50,000 a year lump sum
From: PMEGP sample project report — Aloe Vera Juice Making Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence
- GST
- Udyam
- NOC from State Pollution Control Board
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
- Trademark for the brand (optional)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP sample project at ₹26.56 L; PMFME (micro food processing) also fits juice units; CGTMSE for collateral-free cover.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant & machinery ₹19.40 L + furniture ₹1.60 L + working capital ₹5.56 L = ₹26.56 L. Land own or rented. Finance: own ₹2.66 L, term loan ₹18.90 L, working capital ₹5.00 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹5.56 L, of which ₹5.00 L is bank finance; 15 days of raw material and 7 days of finished goods.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: APEDA
- The report prints no HS code; confirm the ITC(HS) line with DGFT before exporting.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Leaf supply and quality
- Microbial spoilage and recalls
- Brand competition
- Misleading-claim complaints
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working aloe vera juice unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (FSSAI licence, GST), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
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 Aloe Vera Juice?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.