§1What this business is

Ripe custard apples are pulped and the seeds sorted out on a lit table. The pulp is blended with sugar syrup and water, filtered, homogenised, pasteurised in a tank and filled and capped in bottles. Pulp recovery is about 70–72%. The DPR costs fruit at ₹30 a kg and sugar at ₹35, with a sale price of ₹95 a kg.

Capacity: 150 tonnes of drink a year (500 kg a day), 300 working days of 8–10 hours. Year 1 is for construction; use is 55% in Year 2, 65%, 75% and 90% from Year 5. Ripe fruit needed: 80, 90 and 100 kg a day.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A fruit processor or FPO near custard-apple forests and orchards.

Who it is not for

Someone with no plan for the months when the fruit is not in season.

Advantages

  • Little fruit is needed per litre of drink
  • An unusual flavour among mango and orange drinks
  • The same line can run other fruit pulps off season

Drawbacks

  • Custard apple season is short
  • Pulp browns and loses flavour with heat
  • Small brands struggle for shelf space against big drink makers

Skills you need

  • Pulping and seed removal
  • Blending to the right sugar and acid level
  • Pasteurising and hygienic filling
  • Distribution to retailers

Why difficulty 3/5: Standard fruit-drink line; the short season and tricky pulp are the hard parts.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Grocery and cold-drink shops
  • Canteens, hotels and caterers
  • Supermarkets

How it sells

  • Area distributors
  • Direct supply to shops and canteens
  • Stalls at fairs and tourist spots

Good to know

  • The DPR assumes an average sale price of ₹95 a kg.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Cold store, 5,000 kg1₹6.8 lakh
Pulper, 100 kg an hour1₹1 lakh
Pulp sorting table with light1₹0.2 lakh
Sugar syrup preparation tank, 100 litre1₹0.8 lakh
Mixing/blending tank, 100 litre1₹0.6 lakh
Filter press, 100 litre1₹0.6 lakh
Homogeniser, 100 litres an hour1₹1.8 lakh
In-tank pasteuriser, 100 litres an hour1₹1.6 lakh
Filling and capping machine1₹1.4 lakh
Weighing balance1₹0.06 lakh
Accessories1₹0.5 lakh

From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Custard Apple RTS Beverages

  • Ripe custard apple₹30 a kg; 80–100 kg a day
  • Sugarcosted at ₹35 a kg
  • Bottles, caps and labelsthe largest cost after fruit in the DPR

From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Custard Apple RTS Beverages

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration
  3. FSSAI licence or registration
  4. Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
  5. 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). PMEGP is another route for a new unit of this size, and CGTMSE can back the bank loan without collateral.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Building 20 × 32 × 12 ft ₹4.50 L + plant and machinery ₹15.36 L + utilities ₹0.90 L + other fixed assets ₹0.90 L + pre-operative ₹0.50 L + contingencies ₹1.00 L + working capital margin ₹4.54 L = ₹27.70 lakh.

Working capital: Working capital margin ₹4.54 L in the project cost; bank working capital ₹13.61 L in Year 2, ₹16.08 L in Year 3 and ₹21.93 L in Year 4.

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; an exporter needs an IEC and registration with the export body before shipping.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Fermentation or spoilage in bottles
  • Fruit shortage in a poor season
  • Bottle and sugar price rises
  • Weak sales outside summer

§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 custard apple (sitaphal) ready-to-serve drink 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 Custard Apple (Sitaphal) Ready-to-Serve Drink?

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

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Sources

  1. NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Custard Apple RTS Beverages

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