§1What this business is
Raw cumin bought from farmers or mandis passes through vibro sieves, a destoner, a magnetic separator and a gravity separator that remove dust, stones, iron bits and light seeds; it is then weighed and packed. Cumin grows mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and also in parts of MP and UP.
Capacity: 500 kg a day in a 10-hour shift; 30% use in year 1.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A spice or grain trader in a cumin belt such as Gujarat or Rajasthan.
Who it is not for
Someone who does not follow mandi prices.
Advantages
- Cumin is in every Indian kitchen and spice mix
- Dry cleaning only — no cooking or chemicals
- Export buyers in the UAE, USA, UK and Bangladesh (report)
Drawbacks
- Cumin prices swing sharply with weather and crop size
- Large working capital to buy stock at harvest
- Thin net margin (5–7%)
Skills you need
- Grading and quality testing
- Mandi buying
- Export paperwork
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple machines, but profit depends on buying cumin at the right price.
§3Market
Who buys
- Spice grinders and masala brands
- Wholesalers and retailers
- Exporters
How it sells
- Mandi and wholesale trade
- Direct supply to spice companies
- Export
Good to know
- India produced 4,61,160 t of cumin from 8,42,560 ha in 2011-12 (report).
- About 10% of India's cumin is exported; the UAE is the largest buyer, followed by the USA, Egypt, the UK and Bangladesh (report).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity separator, 5 fans (without motor) | — | ₹2,60,000 |
| Vibro sieve with 2 screens, 2 vibro motors and stand | — | ₹1,85,000 |
| Vibro sieve with 3 screens, 2 vibro motors and stand | — | ₹2,10,000 |
| Aspiration system | — | ₹45,000 |
| Cyclone (900, Kice type) | — | ₹32,000 |
| High-pressure blower, 5 HP, with motor | — | ₹45,000 |
| Rotary air lock with gear motor | — | ₹30,000 |
| Vibro destoner with 5 HP blower, cyclone and 2 × 0.5 HP vibro motors | — | ₹3,10,000 |
| Bucket elevator with gear and motor, 20 ft | — | ₹1,40,000 |
| Bucket elevator with gear and motor, 14 ft | — | ₹68,000 |
| Bucket elevator with gear and motor, 12 ft | — | ₹58,000 |
| Damper with slider gate | — | ₹25,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Cumin Cleaning & Processing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Raw cumin seed
- Packing material
From: PMEGP sample project report — Cumin Cleaning & Processing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Kochi · Kochi →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Mumbai · Navi Mumbai →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Guntur · Guntur →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Tuticorin · Thoothukudi →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Narela (Delhi) · Narela →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Chennai · Gummidipoondi →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Kandla · Gandhidham →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Kolkata · Baruipur →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Jodhpur · Jodhpur →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Mandi licence for buying
- Spices Board registration (CRES) for export
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- AIFCentralUnclear3% interest subvention, up to ₹2 crore
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP (sample report), PMFME (micro food processing), AIF (cleaning and grading units count as primary processing), MUDRA and CGTMSE fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant & machinery ₹14.08 L, furniture ₹1.00 L, working capital ₹8.88 L = ₹23.96 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹8.88 L, of which bank finance ₹7.99 L; 15 days of stock.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: Spices Board India
- Turkey, Iran and Syria are India's main competitors in cumin export (report).
- You need an IEC and Spices Board registration (CRES) to export.
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Price crash after buying stock
- Pests in storage
- Export rejection for pesticide residue
§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 cumin (jeera) 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 (FSSAI licence, Udyam 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 Cumin (Jeera) 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.