§1What this business is
Kiwi grows well in Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh. Fresh fruit is washed, peeled and sliced, sometimes blanched for a few seconds, then dried in a food-grade dehydrator for 6–18 hours depending on slice size, and packed in air-tight or vacuum-sealed packs. The profile links the unit to growing your own kiwi, with 18 months for orchard establishment. Dried kiwi sells as a healthy snack in India and to export markets.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A kiwi grower or horticulture graduate who wants to add value to fruit from their own or nearby orchards.
Who it is not for
Someone expecting a full-time income from this small unit alone.
Advantages
- Kiwi suits the climate of Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh
- Tiny investment to start
- Drying stretches the shelf life of a perishable fruit
- Fits the healthy-snack trend
Drawbacks
- The report's own year-1 figures show a loss
- No machinery list with prices is printed
- Kiwi supply is limited and seasonal
- Needs branding to win snack buyers
Skills you need
- Fruit handling and slicing
- Controlling drying time and moisture
- Air-tight packing
- Selling to health-food and dry-fruit buyers
Why difficulty 2/5: Simple drying work at tiny scale; the challenge is earning enough from a small, seasonal supply.
§3Market
Who buys
- Health-conscious snack buyers
- Dry-fruit and health-food shops
- Export buyers in Europe, the USA and the Middle East
How it sells
- Local shops and tourist outlets
- Online stores
- Exporters
Good to know
- The report lists quality control, storage, packaging and branding as the main marketing issues.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Food-grade industrial dehydrator, storage and packing equipment | 1 set | ₹20,000 (plant & machinery line) |
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Dehydrated Kiwi Production Unit
- Fresh kiwi (Hayward, baby/arctic or hardy varieties)from own or nearby orchards in Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh
- Air-tight containers or vacuum-seal packsto stop moisture pick-up
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Dehydrated Kiwi Production Unit
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence (report)
- Trade licence from the local body (report)
- GST (report)
- Udyam / MSME registration (report)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
PMFME and PMEGP suit a new fruit-processing unit; a MUDRA Shishu loan covers a project this small.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant & machinery ₹0.20 L + equipment & furniture ₹0.50 L + misc. fixed assets ₹0.02 L + preliminary ₹0.05 L + working capital ₹1.04 L = ₹1.80 L (building rented, no land cost). Finance: own ₹0.72 L, bank ₹1.08 L.
Working capital: ₹1.04 L in the project cost.
Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: APEDA
- Check the exact 8-digit code in the DGFT ITC-HS list before shipping.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Moisture pick-up spoiling stock
- Short kiwi season
- Low sales volume
- Competition from imported dried fruit
§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 dehydrated kiwi production 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 (report), Trade licence from the local body (report)), 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 Dehydrated Kiwi Production?
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.