§1What this business is

Fresh, fragrant rose petals are washed, dried, shredded and layered or cooked with sugar syrup until a thick sweet paste forms; essence is added and the gulkand is packed in 250 g, 300 g and 1 kg tins. It is mainly used in paan and also as a cooling Ayurvedic tonic.

Capacity: Not printed in kg. Samadhan: capacity use 50% in year 1 rising to 62% in year 5. KVIC: cost of production ₹4.85 L at full capacity.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone near rose-growing areas or paan markets (for example around Kannauj) who can sell to paan shops and sweet makers.

Who it is not for

Someone far from a rose supply.

Advantages

  • Can start at home scale for about ₹1.5 L (KVIC)
  • Steady paan-shop demand
  • Ayurvedic and dessert uses widen the market
  • UP (Kannauj) is a known production centre (Samadhan report)

Drawbacks

  • Fresh rose petals are seasonal
  • Sugar price affects cost
  • Big jump in cost from the KVIC to the machine-based Samadhan model
  • Shelf-life and fungus risk if poorly made

Skills you need

  • Rose petal sourcing
  • Cooking to the right consistency
  • Hygienic packing
  • Selling to paan shops and Ayurvedic stores

Why difficulty 1/5: Simple traditional process; small version needs very little money.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Paan shops
  • Sweet makers and confectioners
  • Ayurvedic stores and practitioners
  • Households

How it sells

  • Paan-material wholesalers
  • Confectionery and Ayurvedic retailers
  • Direct sale in tins

Good to know

  • The KVIC profile ties demand to paan consumption.
  • The Samadhan report names Kannauj as a key gulkand centre and says betel leaf is grown in 22 UP districts.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Gas stove, aluminium vessels, big spoons and small items (KVIC)1 lot₹50,000
Water-sprinkler washing machine (Samadhan)1₹50,000
Hot air dryer1₹2,25,000
Industrial grinder1₹1,00,000
Steam-jacketed vessel with stirrer1₹2,95,000
Packaging machine (vertical form-fill-seal)1₹7,50,000

From: KVIC Project Profile — Gulkand (PMEGP) · PMEGP sample project report — Gulkand (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Fresh rose petals (Damask and other roses)main raw material
  • Sugar / sugar syrup
  • Rose essencefor flavour
  • Tins of 250 g, 300 g and 1 kgKVIC labels and packing ₹10,000 a year

From: PMEGP sample project report — Gulkand (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) · KVIC Project Profile — Gulkand (PMEGP)

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI registration or licence
  2. Udyam registration
  3. GST registration
  4. NOC from the Pollution Control Board and fire safety (named in the Samadhan report)
  5. Trade licence
  6. Trademark (optional, per report)

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP (both reports) and PMFME fit; MUDRA for small loans.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: shed rent ₹24,000 + equipment ₹50,000 (gas stove, aluminium vessels, spoons) + working capital ₹80,000 = ₹1.54 L. Samadhan report: machinery ₹14.20 L + other assets ₹1.00 L + working capital ₹4.43 L = ₹19.63 L, premises rented.

Working capital: KVIC: ₹80,000, raw material ₹1.00 L a year. Samadhan: ₹4.43 L (bank ₹3.99 L).

Year not printed on either report — check current machinery and rose prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Export council / board: APEDA

  • No HS code is given here; confirm the ITC(HS) line for gulkand with DGFT or a customs broker before exporting.
  • You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Rose supply shortfall
  • Spoilage
  • FSSAI non-compliance
  • Price competition from local makers

§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 gulkand (rose petal preserve) 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 registration or licence, 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 Gulkand (Rose Petal Preserve)?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. KVIC Project Profile — Gulkand (PMEGP)
  2. PMEGP sample project report — Gulkand (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

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