§1What this business is

Oranges and other citrus fruits are juiced and pressed, the juice is fermented in fermenters with sugar and water, vacuum-filtered until clear, then bottled, sealed and labelled. The model makes 500 litres a day and plans to sell at ₹100 a bottle in the first year. Premises are expected to be rented.

Capacity: 500 litres a day, 150,000 litres (150,000 one-litre bottles) a year after 5% wastage; 300 working days, one 8-hour shift. Use is 60% in Year 1 (90,000 litres), then 65%, 70%, 75% and 80%.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A fruit processor in an orange or kinnow belt in a state that licenses fruit wineries.

Who it is not for

Anyone in a prohibition state, or hoping to sell wine online or in grocery shops.

Advantages

  • Uses surplus and small-sized citrus that fetches little in the mandi
  • Fruit wine is still a small field with few makers
  • Rented premises keep the fixed cost down

Drawbacks

  • Needs a state excise licence and constant excise compliance
  • Net profit in the DPR is only 5–9% of sales
  • Half the capacity must sell just to break even
  • Sale only through licensed liquor channels

Skills you need

  • Fermentation and sanitation
  • Filtering and bottling
  • Excise paperwork
  • Selling to licensed outlets

Why difficulty 4/5: Excise licensing, thin margins and restricted sales channels.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Licensed wine and liquor shops
  • Hotels, bars and restaurants with a liquor licence
  • Tourists where winery sales are allowed

How it sells

  • State-licensed wholesalers or the state beverage corporation
  • Licensed retail outlets
  • Licensed hotels and bars

Good to know

  • The DPR prices a 1-litre bottle at ₹100 in Year 1, rising to ₹122 in Year 5.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Fermenters—₹8,00,000
Bottling machine—₹15,00,000
Juicers—₹45,800
Pressing machines—₹3,50,000
Vacuum filtration unit—₹75,000

From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Citrus Wine

  • Citrus fruitsoranges and similar fruits bought in season
  • Sugar and wateradded before fermentation
  • 1-litre bottles, caps and labels150,000 bottles a year at full capacity

From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Citrus Wine

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration
  3. State excise licence to make and sell wine
  4. Label approval and brand registration with the state excise department
  5. FSSAI licence or registration
  6. Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
  7. State Pollution Control Board consent where applicable

We can do this registration for you

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§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 (owned or rented) + plant and machinery ₹27.70 L + miscellaneous assets ₹3.50 L + working capital ₹10.68 L = ₹41.88 lakh.

Working capital: Working capital ₹10.68 L, of which the bank finances ₹9.62 L and the owner's margin is ₹1.07 L; raw material stock for 10 days, finished goods for 7 days, 30 days' credit to buyers.

Year not printed on the DPR (the PMFME scheme began in 2020) — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§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

  • Spoiled batches from poor hygiene
  • Excise duty or policy changes
  • Bitter taste from citrus peel oil
  • Low offtake at ₹100 a bottle

§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 citrus fruit wine 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 (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

§12Watch

There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.

Want to start Citrus Fruit Wine Unit?

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

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Sources

  1. NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Citrus Wine

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