§1What this business is

Whole Bengal gram is cleaned, conditioned, dehusked and split, then milled and sieved into fine and super-fine besan, packed in bulk bags or retail pouches. Namkeen and sweet makers are big buyers; the husk sells as cattle feed.

Capacity: Samadhan: 480 tonnes of gram a year, giving 384 MT of besan (20% husk and losses). KVIC: 299 quintals of besan a year.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A grain trader or flour-mill owner near a gram-growing mandi.

Who it is not for

Someone who cannot fund large raw-material stock.

Advantages

  • Besan is used in every Indian kitchen
  • Namkeen and sweet makers buy in bulk
  • Simple milling technology
  • Husk is a saleable by-product

Drawbacks

  • Gram prices move with the crop and government policy
  • Big working capital for gram stock
  • Adulteration in the market undercuts honest sellers
  • Thin margin (about 5–6%)

Skills you need

  • Buying gram at the right price
  • Milling and sieving
  • Food-safety rules
  • Selling to namkeen and sweet makers

Why difficulty 2/5: Simple process; the risk is in gram prices and working capital.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Households
  • Namkeen and sweet makers
  • Hotels and caterers

How it sells

  • Kirana and wholesale traders
  • Direct bulk supply to namkeen units
  • Co-operative and retail stores

Good to know

  • The Samadhan report says India exported about 12,000 tons of besan worth ₹7,800 lakh in 2015-16 (APEDA), mainly to the USA, UK, Australia and Gulf countries.
  • It says the snacks and namkeen industry is growing about 10% a year.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Atta chakki, pulveriser, sieve with belt, utensils, sealing machine, weighing balance—₹3,00,000
Hammer pulveriser, 20 HP, 200–250 kg an hour1₹3.54 lakh incl. GST
Packaging machine—₹1.46 lakh

From: KVIC Project Profile — Besan Manufacturing Unit (PMEGP) · PMEGP sample project report — Besan Plant (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Bengal gram (chana)480 tonnes a year at ₹44,000 a tonne in the Samadhan report
  • Packing and printing material (1 kg pouches, gunny bags)₹1.96 lakh a year in the Samadhan report

From: PMEGP sample project report — Besan Plant (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

In our raw material database

Chana (gram, chickpea) →

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI licence
  2. Udyam
  3. GST
  4. Agmark (the KVIC profile recommends it)
  5. Mandi licence for buying gram

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMFME fits pulse processing; both reports are PMEGP samples; AIF supports primary processing; MUDRA and CGTMSE can cover loans.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile ₹7.80 L (shed 1,500 sq ft ₹3.00 L, equipment ₹3.00 L, working capital ₹1.80 L). Samadhan report ₹35.05 L (machinery ₹5.00 L, furniture ₹0.40 L, contingencies ₹0.50 L, pre-operative ₹0.20 L, working-capital margin ₹28.95 L; premises rented).

Working capital: Samadhan: ₹28.95 L for 1.5 months — gram is bought at ₹44,000 a tonne, so stock ties up most of the money. KVIC: ₹1.80 L.

KVIC profile: year not printed. Samadhan report quotes 2015-16 export data — check current gram and machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export

1106Flour and meal of dried leguminous vegetables

Export council / board: APEDA

  • Besan exports go mainly to markets with a large Indian population.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Gram price rise
  • Working-capital lock-up
  • Quality complaints
  • Competition from large brands

§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 besan (gram flour) unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (FSSAI licence, 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 Besan (Gram Flour) Unit?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. KVIC Project Profile — Besan Manufacturing Unit (PMEGP)
  2. PMEGP sample project report — Besan Plant (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

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