§1What this business is

Baheda fruits from forest trees are cleaned, graded and dried, pressed in a hydraulic oil press, refined and filled into bottles. The oil is used in hair-growth, anti-ageing and skin products and as massage oil. Buyers are ayurvedic and cosmetic manufacturers and herbal-product traders.

Capacity: 500 litres of oil a day (10-hour shift); the plan runs at 40% in year 1.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone near forest areas with links to collectors and to ayurvedic or cosmetic buyers.

Who it is not for

Someone far from the raw-material belt or without buyers lined up.

Advantages

  • Rising demand for natural and herbal cosmetic ingredients
  • Baheda grows wild in forests and Himalayan foothills — raw material near forest areas
  • GST on ayurvedic and herbal products is 5%, says the report
  • Can also sell the oil as massage oil

Drawbacks

  • Fruit supply is seasonal and depends on forest collectors
  • Small, specialised market — buyers are few
  • Refinery equipment is the biggest cost (₹10 L)
  • Quality and purity must be proven to cosmetic buyers

Skills you need

  • Fruit grading and drying
  • Oil pressing and refining
  • Quality testing of oil
  • Selling to herbal and cosmetic companies

Why difficulty 3/5: Process is simple, but raw-material supply and a small buyer base need planning.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Ayurvedic and herbal product makers
  • Cosmetic and hair-care companies
  • Massage-oil and wellness brands

How it sells

  • Direct supply to manufacturers
  • Herbal raw-material traders

Good to know

  • The report links demand to rising interest in chemical-free and natural personal-care products.
  • It notes the Ministry of AYUSH promotes ayurvedic and herbal products and GST on them was lowered to 5%.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Seed cleaning and grading machine1₹1,80,000
Tray dryer1₹60,000
Hydraulic oil press machine1₹1,50,000
Multifunctional oil refinery equipment1₹10,00,000
Oil filling and packaging machine1₹1,80,000
Material handling and other equipmentlump sum₹1,00,000

From: PMEGP sample project report — Baheda Oil Processing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Baheda (Terminalia bellirica) fruitsfrom forest trees, mostly in the Himalayan foothills and across the Indian subcontinent
  • Packing materialbottles and cartons

From: PMEGP sample project report — Baheda Oil Processing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration
  3. Forest-produce transit permit where the state requires it for minor forest produce
  4. FSSAI licence if sold as edible oil (the report says it can be used in cooking)
  5. State pollution board consent

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP (the report was prepared for it), MUDRA up to ₹20 L, CGTMSE for a collateral-free loan.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Plant and machinery ₹16.70 L + furniture ₹1.00 L + working capital ₹6.28 L = ₹23.98 L; land own or rented.

Working capital: Working capital ₹6.28 L in the project cost (bank working capital ₹5.65 L): 15 days of fruit and 15 days of finished oil; 15 days' credit both ways.

Year not printed on the report — check current machinery and raw-material prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Export council / board: SHEFEXIL (Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council)

  • The project report prints no HS code; look up the 8-digit ITC(HS) line on the DGFT website or with a customs broker before exporting.
  • You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Poor fruit season or collection problems
  • Few buyers and price pressure
  • Forest-produce transit rules
  • Oil rancidity in storage

§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 baheda (bahera) oil processing unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration), 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 Baheda (Bahera) Oil Processing?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. PMEGP sample project report — Baheda Oil Processing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

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