§1What this business is

Apples from Uttarkashi, Pauri, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Nainital and Dehradun are washed, partly peeled, sliced into rings, optionally blanched, dried in an electric tray drier at 50–70 °C, cooled and packed in food-grade or vacuum bags. Dried apple goes into snacks, fruit mixes, powders for drinks, bakery fillings and health bars. The report names restaurants, dhabas, clubs, caterers, food processors and pharma companies as the main buyers.

Capacity: About 20 tonnes of fresh apples in the season at 100% capacity.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

An apple grower, orchard cooperative or fruit trader in Uttarakhand's apple belt with buyers among caterers and food firms.

Who it is not for

Someone who takes the printed profit at face value.

Advantages

  • Plenty of apples in season close to the unit
  • Simple process with cheap machinery (₹1.45 L of machines)
  • Turns blemished or surplus apples into a long-life product
  • Many uses — snacks, bakery, drink powders

Drawbacks

  • Huge working capital locked in seasonal buying
  • The profit figures printed are not believable
  • Apples are available only from August to November
  • Many dried-fruit brands already sell online

Skills you need

  • Grading and buying apples in season
  • Drying control and moisture testing
  • Packing and storage
  • Selling to caterers and food processors

Why difficulty 3/5: Easy process, but large seasonal buying and unreliable printed numbers need careful planning.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Restaurants, eateries and dhabas
  • Clubs and caterers
  • Food-processing industry
  • Pharmaceutical companies

How it sells

  • Direct supply to institutional buyers
  • Dry-fruit and grocery shops
  • Online stores

Good to know

  • The report says machine-dried apples have replaced sun-dried ones because quality is steadier.
  • It says the planned capacity is too small to justify exports.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Farming toolslot₹5,000
Fruit peeling machine (automatic)2₹50,000 (total as printed)
Electrically operated tray drier, 48 trays1₹70,000
Weighing scales, sealing machine, etc.1₹20,000
Washing tank1₹20,000

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Dehydrated Apple Production

  • Fresh apples (Royal Delicious, Red Delicious)about 20 tonnes in the season at 100% capacity
  • Water and optional preservativesfor washing and treatment
  • Food-grade inner bags and large outer bagspolythene or vacuum-sealed packing

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Dehydrated Apple Production

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI licence (report)
  2. Trade licence (report)
  3. GST (report)
  4. Udyam / MSME registration (report)
  5. Legal Metrology registration for packed goods

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMFME and PMEGP fit a fruit-processing unit of this size; AIF supports primary processing and storage; CGTMSE gives a collateral-free guarantee.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Building (rented) ₹0.30 L + plant & machinery ₹1.65 L + equipment & furniture ₹0.80 L + misc. fixed assets ₹0.02 L + preliminary ₹0.05 L + working capital ₹44.64 L = ₹47.46 L. Finance: own ₹18.99 L, bank ₹28.48 L.

Working capital: ₹44.64 L — almost the whole project, to buy apples during the August–November season.

Year not printed on the DUY profile — 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

0813Dried fruit, other than that of headings 0801 to 0806

Export council / board: APEDA

  • Check the exact 8-digit code in the DGFT ITC-HS list before shipping.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Apple price and crop size in the season
  • Moisture spoiling stock
  • Working capital stuck in unsold stock
  • Competition from bigger dried-fruit 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 dehydrated apple slices 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 (report), Trade licence (report)), 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 Dehydrated Apple Slices?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Dehydrated Apple Production

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