§1What this business is
Mature garlic is sorted, broken into cloves, peeled, washed, sliced, dried and ground. The larger report adds blanching, a potassium metabisulphite dip, a continuous tunnel dryer and nitrogen-flushed pouches, drying to below 6.5% moisture. Both reports note that a large share of the garlic crop is lost in storage, so drying adds value; the product goes into sauces, ketchup, pickles, snacks and spice mixes.
Capacity: Powder: 450 kg a day (year 1 at 30%). Powder & flakes: 0.50 tonne a day, 150 tonnes a year (year 1 at 60%), from 750 tonnes of garlic bulbs at full capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone in a garlic-growing belt with links to spice, sauce or snack makers.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot fund large garlic purchases at harvest time.
Advantages
- India grows garlic in MP, UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other states
- Drying saves garlic that would otherwise rot in storage
- Wide use in sauces, ketchup, pickles, snacks and spice mixes
- Export demand in the Gulf, the US and Europe, say the reports
Drawbacks
- About 5 tonnes of garlic make 1 tonne of product (750 t → 150 t)
- Garlic prices swing sharply between seasons
- Drying uses a lot of power and heat
- Peel waste and smell need handling
Skills you need
- Garlic buying and storage
- Drying and moisture control
- Food safety and testing
- B2B and export sales
Why difficulty 3/5: Raw-material price risk and drying control decide profit.
§3Market
Who buys
- Homes, restaurants, hotels and institutions
- Food processors and snack makers
- Spice-mix, sauce and ketchup makers
How it sells
- Wholesalers and distributors
- General merchants
- Exporters
Good to know
- The powder report names Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat, Seychelles, the USA, Yemen and some European countries as export markets.
- The powder report says about 20% of the garlic harvest is lost to respiration and microbial spoilage in storage.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Garlic sorting machine | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Garlic separating machine | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Garlic peeling machine | 1 | ₹1,75,000 |
| Garlic washing machine | 1 | ₹1,35,000 |
| Garlic slicing machine | 1 | ₹1,15,000 |
| Garlic drying machine | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Grinding machine | 1 | ₹1,95,000 |
| Packaging machine | 1 | ₹1,60,000 |
| Material handling and other equipment | — | ₹1,50,000 |
| Rotary vegetable washing machine with jet spray, 1 HP (flakes report) | 1 | ₹1,00,000 |
| PVC washing tank, 2 tonne | 1 | ₹13,000 |
| Blanching tanks with steam inlet | 2 | ₹35,000 |
| Lye peeling equipment (three SS tanks) | 1 | ₹65,000 |
| Stainless-steel working table, 3' × 8' | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Weighing balance, 100–500 kg | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Continuous tunnel dryer, SS belt, 30' × 8' × 10' | 1 | ₹4,75,000 |
| Pulveriser with 15 HP motor, 200–300 kg an hour | 2 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Automatic weighing, pouch filling and sealing machine | LS | ₹3,80,000 |
| Tools, jigs, cleaning, lab and water equipment | LS | ₹1,56,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Garlic Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) · PMEGP sample project report — Garlic Powder & Flakes (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Mature garlic with dry stemswell-matured, yellow-leaf garlic, says the powder report
- Garlic bulbs750 tonnes a year at ₹25,000 a tonne = ₹187.50 L at full capacity (flakes report)
- Potassium metabisulphite₹50,000 a year
- Printed polythene pouches, tapes, labels and cartons₹2.50 L a year
From: PMEGP sample project report — Garlic Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) · PMEGP sample project report — Garlic Powder & Flakes (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence or registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent (CTE/CTO)
- Legal Metrology registration for packed goods
- Spices Board registration (CRES) if you export
- BIS standard IS 5452 for dehydrated garlic (cited in the report; voluntary)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
Spice and vegetable processing fits PMFME and PMEGP; at ₹21.81–25.00 L both reports are above the MUDRA limit, so CGTMSE or Stand-Up India suit the loan.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Garlic powder report ₹21.81 L (plant & machinery ₹13.90 L, furniture ₹1.00 L, working capital ₹6.91 L; land own or rented). Garlic powder & flakes report ₹25.00 L (shed 8,000 sq ft ₹3.00 L on 10,000 sq ft own land, plant & machinery ₹13.84 L, furniture ₹0.54 L, pre-operative ₹0.60 L, working capital ₹7.02 L; the cost table adds to ₹24.99 L).
Working capital: Powder: ₹6.91 L (bank ₹6.22 L). Powder & flakes: ₹7.02 L (bank ₹6.32 L); garlic bulbs at ₹25,000 a tonne.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: Spices Board India
- 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
- Garlic price spikes
- Moisture pick-up and browning in storage
- Power cost
- Export quality rejection
§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 garlic powder & dehydrated flakes 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 or registration, Udyam registration), 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 Garlic Powder & Dehydrated Flakes?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
- PMEGP sample project report — Garlic Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- PMEGP sample project report — Garlic Powder & Flakes (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.