§1What this business is

Fresh ripe fruit is washed and pulped, sugar is added to raise the brix to 25, and the blend is dried in a tray dryer for 18–20 hours. The cooled slabs are cut to size, packed in BOPP or other food-grade film and boxed. The KVIC profile says the process was commercialised by CFTRI Mysore and the yield is about 75%.

Capacity: 60 tonnes a year.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone in a fruit-growing belt who can sell through grocery and snack distributors.

Who it is not for

Someone far from fruit supply or without a food-hygiene setup.

Advantages

  • Preserves seasonal fruit for year-round sale
  • A proven CFTRI process
  • Liked by all age groups
  • Fits fruit-growing areas — NE India, Uttarakhand, HP, Punjab, UP, Maharashtra

Drawbacks

  • Drying takes 18–20 hours a batch
  • Fruit must be bought in season — capital gets locked
  • 15 workers make wages a big cost (₹10.08 L)
  • Bars absorb moisture if packing is weak

Skills you need

  • Pulping and brix control
  • Tray drying
  • Food hygiene (FSSAI)
  • Packing and branding

Why difficulty 2/5: Simple process; seasonal buying and packing quality need care.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Children and adults looking for fruit snacks

How it sells

  • Grocery and bakery shops
  • Snack distributors
  • Fairs and tourist outlets

Good to know

  • The profile names Assam and nearby North-East states as having fresh fruit round the year.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Fruit washing tank2—
Pulp extractor1—
Steam-jacketed kettle2—
Baby boiler, 100 kg1—
Fruit mill1—
Tray dryer with 48 trays1—
Weighing scale, SS utensils, testing instruments1 lot—

From: KVIC Project Profile — Fruit Bars (PMEGP)

  • Ripe pulpy fruit — banana, mango, guava, appleraw material ₹17.60 L a year in the profile; yield about 75%
  • Sugarto raise the brix to 25
  • BOPP or food-grade printed film, cardboard or duplex boxes₹2.00 L a year for labels and packing

From: KVIC Project Profile — Fruit Bars (PMEGP)

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI licence or registration
  2. Udyam registration
  3. GST registration
  4. Trade licence from the local body
  5. Legal Metrology registration for packed goods

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

Fruit processing fits PMFME and PMEGP; at ₹12.82 L it also fits MUDRA, CGTMSE and Stand-Up India.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Workshed ₹2.50 L + equipment ₹4.32 L (2 fruit washing tanks, pulp extractor, 2 steam-jacketed kettles, 100 kg baby boiler, fruit mill, tray dryer with 48 trays, weighing scale, SS utensils, testing instruments) = ₹6.82 L, + working capital ₹6.00 L = ₹12.82 L. Own land.

Working capital: Working capital ₹6.00 L; fruit and raw material ₹17.60 L and packing ₹2.00 L a year.

Year not printed on the KVIC 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

20.08Fruit and other edible parts of plants, otherwise prepared or preserved (heading)

Export council / board: APEDA

  • HS codes are from the WCO HS 2022 list; confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
  • You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Fruit price and supply
  • Mould or moisture in stock
  • Shelf-life complaints
  • Competition from packaged snacks

§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 fruit bars 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 or registration, Udyam 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

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 Fruit Bars?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. KVIC Project Profile — Fruit Bars (PMEGP)

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