§1What this business is
Harvested cardamom capsules are cleaned in a winnowing machine, washed (sodium carbonate is used in processing), cured, dried in a bin dryer, graded, dry-roasted, pulverised and packed. The powder goes to households, sweet makers, tea and food brands.
Capacity: 500 packets of 100 g a day; 35% capacity in year 1; 10-hour shift.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A spice trader or processor near cardamom auctions (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) or with a strong retail brand.
Who it is not for
Someone without working capital to buy cardamom at auction.
Advantages
- Cardamom is a high-value spice ('Queen of Spices', report)
- Ready-to-use powder saves buyers time
- Strong festive, sweet-shop and tea demand
- Export interest from the Middle East (report)
Drawbacks
- Cardamom prices swing sharply
- Thin margin (3.5–7% in the report)
- Powder loses aroma if badly packed
- Adulteration risk hurts trust
Skills you need
- Cardamom grading and buying
- Roasting and grinding without losing aroma
- Moisture-proof packing
- Branding and retail sales
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple process, but costly raw material and thin margin.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Sweet shops and bakeries
- Tea and beverage makers
- Food processors
How it sells
- Grocery and spice retailers
- Distributors
- Online retail
- Export buyers
Good to know
- The report says Middle Eastern and South-East Asian countries account for more than 60% of world cardamom consumption.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cardamom winnowing machine | 1 | ₹7,00,000 |
| Cardamom washing machine | 1 | ₹1,30,000 |
| Bin dryer | 1 | ₹45,000 |
| Dry roasting machine | 1 | ₹1,75,000 |
| Pulveriser | 1 | ₹80,000 |
| Packaging machine | 1 | ₹1,80,000 |
| Material handling and other equipment | 1 lot | ₹1,50,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Green Cardamom Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Green cardamom capsules (post-harvest)main raw material
- Sodium carbonateused in processing
- 100 g packetspacking
From: PMEGP sample project report — Green Cardamom Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Spices Board registration (for trading or export)
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP and PMFME fit; MUDRA and CGTMSE for credit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: plant & machinery ₹14.60 L, furniture ₹1.20 L, working capital ₹8.56 L = ₹24.36 L. Land own or rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹8.56 L (bank ₹7.70 L); 10 days' stock and 15 days' credit — cardamom is costly stock.
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
- Cardamom price spikes
- Loss of aroma and quality complaints
- FSSAI non-compliance
- Competition from big spice brands
§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 green cardamom powder 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 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 Green Cardamom Powder?
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.