§1What this business is
Sweet corn cobs are bought from farms, de-husked, the kernels separated, blanched to stop enzyme action, cooled in water, dried and blast-frozen. They are stored in sacks below −18 °C and later packed into 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg packets. Buyers are households, restaurants, roadside eateries, clubs, hostels and caterers, per the DPR.
Capacity: 600 kg of frozen corn a day on a 10-hour shift; the DPR plans 1,26,000 kg in year 1 (70%) rising to 1,62,000 kg in year 5 (90%).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone near sweet-corn farms with cold-chain access and restaurant or caterer buyers.
Who it is not for
Someone in an area with poor power supply or no cold-chain transport.
Advantages
- Frozen kernels sell all year while fresh corn is seasonal
- Simple process: de-husk, blanch, cool, freeze and pack
- Many bulk buyers — restaurants, caterers, hostels and clubs
- Gross margin 23.96% in year 1, rising to 28.51% in year 5
Drawbacks
- High break-even — 60% of capacity in year 1
- Needs −18 °C storage and a cold chain to the buyer
- Branded products compete; the DPR says newcomers must price competitively
- Heavy power bill (₹62,500 a month in the DPR)
Skills you need
- Buying corn at the right maturity
- Blanching and blast-freezing
- Cold-room management
- Selling to HoReCa and frozen-food distributors
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple processing, but a high break-even and cold-chain dependence.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Restaurants and roadside eateries
- Clubs, hostels and caterers
- Pizza and fast-food outlets
How it sells
- Frozen-food distributors
- Direct supply to HoReCa
- Modern retail freezers
Good to know
- The DPR prices frozen corn at ₹60 a kg in year 1, rising ₹3 a year.
- The DPR warns that branded products are costly, so newcomers should compete on price.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable and fruit washing machine | — | — |
| Blanching machine | — | — |
| Cooling tank | — | — |
| Blast freezer | — | — |
| Weighing machine | — | — |
| Packaging machine | — | — |
| Cold chamber (−18 °C) | — | — |
| Total machinery (all items above, as printed) | — | ₹28,00,000 |
From: NIFTEM-K project profile — Frozen Sweet Corn Making Unit (PMFME model DPR) (2022)
- Fresh sweet corn cobsbought from farmers; ₹20–25 a kg (₹20 in the year-1 costing)
- Packing materiallarge sacks for cold storage; 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg retail packets
From: NIFTEM-K project profile — Frozen Sweet Corn Making Unit (PMFME model DPR) (2022)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence
- Udyam
- GST
- Fire and pollution licences as required (listed in the DPR)
- Trademark for your brand
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMFME (the DPR is a PMFME model with a 35% subsidy up to ₹10 L), PMEGP and CGTMSE fit. Bank finance in the DPR is ₹22.00 L (term loan ₹16.50 L + working capital ₹5.50 L), above the MUDRA ₹20 L limit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: NIFTEM-K PMFME model DPR: total ₹36.11 L = plant & machinery ₹28.00 L + miscellaneous assets ₹2.00 L (electricity connection ₹60,000, furniture ₹60,000, material handling ₹80,000) + working capital ₹6.11 L. Premises rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹6.11 L (bank limit ₹5.50 L): 15 days of raw corn and frozen stock, 15 days' credit both ways. Fresh corn costs ₹20–25 a kg; frozen corn sells at ₹60 a kg in year 1.
Year not printed in the DPR; NIFTEM-K published it in July 2022 — 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 ITC(HS) export policy for the exact 8-digit line before shipping.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Power failure spoiling frozen stock
- Corn supply and price in the off-season
- Price competition from big frozen brands
- Low capacity use pushing below break-even
§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 frozen sweet corn unit 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), 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 Frozen Sweet Corn Unit?
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.