§1What this business is
Apples are washed, milled and pressed. The juice is fermented with yeast in tanks, filtered, then filled and capped in bottles. The model unit is sized for 75,000 litres a year. It is written for an existing micro unit that already has land and a building, so only machinery and working capital are costed.
Capacity: 75,000 litres of apple wine a year, 300 working days. Use is 50% in Year 1, 55%, 60%, 65% and 70% from Year 5.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An existing fruit processor in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand or Jammu & Kashmir who can get an excise licence.
Who it is not for
Anyone in a state with prohibition, or without patience for excise paperwork.
Advantages
- Turns low-grade and culled apples into a high-value drink
- Fruit wine has few local makers in apple states
- Wine keeps and improves with storage
Drawbacks
- Needs a state excise licence and regular excise compliance
- Net margin in the DPR is only 2.7–8%
- Sale is only through licensed liquor channels
- Advertising of alcohol is restricted
Skills you need
- Fermentation control and hygiene
- Filtering and clarifying wine
- Excise records and returns
- Selling to licensed wine shops and hotels
Why difficulty 4/5: The process is learnable; the excise licence, thin margin and restricted sales make it hard.
§3Market
Who buys
- Licensed wine and liquor shops
- Hotels, bars and restaurants with a liquor licence
- Tourists in hill states
How it sells
- State-licensed wholesalers or the state beverage corporation
- Licensed retail outlets
- A licensed tasting counter at the winery where the state allows it
Good to know
- Machinery prices in the DPR carry 18% GST on top (₹3,50,280 on ₹19,46,000).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit washing machine | 1 | ₹4,86,000 |
| Fruit mill | 4 | ₹1,80,000 |
| Juice press | 2 | ₹1,90,000 |
| Filtration unit | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Fermentation tanks | 2 | ₹7,60,000 |
| Filling and capping machine | 1 | ₹1,80,000 |
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Apple Wine
- Applesbought from growers in the season
- Yeastfor fermentation
- Bottles and packaging materialglass bottles, caps and labels
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State excise licence to make and sell wine
- Label approval and brand registration with the state excise department
- FSSAI licence or registration
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
- State Pollution Control Board consent where applicable
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
The DPR is written for PMFME (35% credit-linked subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh, for micro food units). CGTMSE can back the bank loan without collateral. Confirm with the bank and the state excise office before you count on any subsidy for a wine unit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Land and building nil (already owned) + plant and machinery ₹22.96 L (₹19.46 L plus 18% GST) + other fixed assets ₹3.00 L + working capital margin ₹2.74 L + contingencies ₹1.04 L = ₹29.74 lakh.
Working capital: Working capital requirement ₹8.22 L (15 days of raw material and finished goods), of which ₹2.74 L margin is in the project cost.
Year not printed on the DPR (the PMFME scheme began in 2020) — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: APEDA
- The DPR gives no export costing; wine exports also need excise permits from the state.
§9Risks — where people fail
- A batch turning sour through contamination
- Change in state excise duty or policy
- Apple price rising in a poor crop year
- Slow sales in a small wine market
§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 apple wine making unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration), 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
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Apple Wine Making Unit?
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.