§1What this business is

Chironji (Buchanania lanzan) fruits are harvested in May–June; the dark skin is soaked off, the nuts are washed and sun-dried, then shelled in a decorticator, graded, passed through a metal detector and packed in 100 g packets. The kernels are used in sweets, kheer and korma. Buyers are dry-fruit traders, sweet shops, grocery stores and exporters.

Capacity: 1,000 packets of 100 g a day on a 10-hour shift; year 1 at 40%.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone in a chironji-collecting area, a forest-produce trader, or an FPO or self-help group federation.

Who it is not for

Someone far from the collection belt.

Advantages

  • High-value kernel with steady demand in sweets
  • Raw nuts come from forest areas of MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and eastern UP
  • Simple machines
  • Supports tribal collectors' income

Drawbacks

  • Net margin is thin — 3.7% to 5.8%
  • Harvest comes once a year, so stock must be bought in season
  • Quality varies by collector
  • Adulteration and look-alike seeds hurt prices

Skills you need

  • Buying from collectors at harvest
  • Shelling and grading
  • Hygienic packing
  • Selling to dry-fruit traders

Why difficulty 2/5: Easy processing; buying right in a short season decides profit.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Sweet makers and households
  • Dry-fruit traders
  • Exporters (the report says demand is high abroad)

How it sells

  • Dry-fruit wholesalers
  • Grocery shops and supermarkets
  • Online marketplaces

Good to know

  • The report says chironji is the backbone of tribal income in Chhattisgarh and other states.
  • Its seed oil is also used for skin care.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Vibro separator machine1₹1,50,000
Seed decorticator and sieving machine1₹1,20,000
Metal detector1₹1,50,000
Filling and packaging machine1₹2,80,000
Material handling and other equipment—₹2,50,000

From: PMEGP sample project report — Chironji Processing (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Chironji nuts (4–5 months old, harvested May–June)skin removed before shelling; raw material ₹60.00 lakh in year 1
  • 100 g packets and cartonspacking

From: PMEGP sample project report — Chironji Processing (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI licence
  2. Udyam
  3. GST
  4. Trade licence
  5. Check state rules for buying minor forest produce

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP sample project; PMFME fits a micro food unit; MUDRA (up to ₹20 L) and CGTMSE fit the size.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: plant & machinery ₹9.50 L + furniture ₹0.80 L + working capital ₹6.33 L = ₹16.63 L. Premises own or rented. Finance: term loan ₹9.27 L, WC loan ₹5.69 L, own ₹1.66 L.

Working capital: Working capital ₹6.33 lakh, bank finance ₹5.69 lakh — 10 days of stock, 15 days' credit both ways.

Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

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

0802.99Other nuts, fresh or dried, whether or not shelled or peeled — other
  • Confirm with customs that chironji kernels fall under 0802.99.
  • Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
  • You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Poor harvest years
  • Price swings
  • Storage pests
  • Forest-produce rules on collection and transit

§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 chironji 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 (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 Chironji Processing?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. PMEGP sample project report — Chironji Processing (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

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