§1What this business is
Harvested bajra passes through a magnetic separator, vibrating sieves, aspiration, a de-stoner, a gravity separator and a colour sorter, then is weighed and packed in woven sacks. It is a primary processing unit that adds value by removing dust, stones and bad grain. Buyers are flour mills, millet-food makers, traders and packers.
Capacity: About 500 kg an hour in a single shift at 80–90% efficiency; the plan runs at 45% capacity in year 1 and 65% in year 5.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A grain trader or FPO in a bajra-growing area with buyers among flour mills.
Who it is not for
Someone who does not understand mandi prices and grain quality.
Advantages
- India is the largest millet producer — the report puts its share at 41%
- Simple, proven cleaning machines
- Clean, sorted grain fetches a better price than field grain
- Same line can clean other millets and small grains
Drawbacks
- Grain is about three-quarters of sales — margin depends on buying well
- Seasonal arrivals mean large stock at harvest
- Grain prices move with the crop
- Dust and noise need control
Skills you need
- Grain grading and mandi buying
- Setting sieves, aspirator and sorter
- Stock and moisture control
- Selling to mills and packers
Why difficulty 2/5: Machines are simple; success depends on buying grain well and keeping volume up.
§3Market
Who buys
- Flour mills
- Millet food and snack makers
- Grain traders and wholesalers
- Packers of branded grain
How it sells
- Direct sale to mills and processors
- Wholesale grain markets
Good to know
- The report puts world millet production at 27.8 million tonnes with India the largest producer at 41%.
- It says more than half of millet output now goes into uses other than staple food.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity separator, 5 fan (without motor) | 1 | ₹2,60,000 |
| Vibro sieve with two screens, 2 vibro motors and stand | 1 | ₹1,85,000 |
| Vibro sieve with three screens, 2 vibro motors and stand | 1 | ₹2,10,000 |
| Aspiration system | 1 | ₹45,000 |
| Cyclone 900 (Kice type) | 1 | ₹32,000 |
| High-pressure blower 5 HP with motor | 1 | ₹45,000 |
| Rotary air lock with gear motor | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Vibro de-stoner with 5 HP blower, cyclone and 2 vibro motors (0.5 HP) | 1 | ₹3,10,000 |
| Bucket elevator 20 ft, 5" bucket, with gear and motor | 1 | ₹1,40,000 |
| Bucket elevator 14 ft | 1 | ₹68,000 |
| Bucket elevator 12 ft | 1 | ₹58,000 |
| Damper with slider gate | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| GST at 18% on machinery | — | ₹2,53,440 (machinery total ₹16,61,440) |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Bajra Cleaning Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Harvested and threshed bajra (pearl millet)₹108.00 lakh of grain in year 1 at 45% capacity
- Woven sackspacking material
From: PMEGP sample project report — Bajra Cleaning Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- FSSAI registration or licence (food grain handling)
- Mandi licence for buying in regulated markets
- State pollution board consent (dust)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- AIFCentralUnclear3% interest subvention, up to ₹2 crore
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
AIF gives interest subvention for primary processing such as cleaning and grading; PMEGP (the report was prepared for it), CGTMSE and MUDRA also fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant and machinery ₹16.61 L (₹14.08 L + 18% GST) + other assets ₹0.50 L + furniture ₹0.50 L + working capital ₹7.22 L = ₹24.83 L; land own or rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹7.22 L (bank limit ₹6.50 L): 10 days of grain and 10 days of cleaned stock; 10–15 days' credit both ways.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery and raw-material prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: APEDA
- 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
- Crop price swings
- Storage pests and moisture
- Working capital locked in stock
- Low capacity use outside the season
§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 bajra (pearl millet) cleaning and grading 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
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 Bajra (Pearl Millet) Cleaning and Grading?
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.