§1What this business is
A batter of wheat flour, corn flour, sugar, water, fat, colour and flavour is fed into an automatic cone machine that moulds and bakes the cones, which are then packed. Buyers are local ice cream makers, especially unbranded ones in small towns and villages.
Capacity: 48,000 cones a day, 1.44 crore cones a year (8 hours, 300 days).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone near a cluster of local ice cream makers, or able to tie up with a brand.
Who it is not for
Someone without buyers lined up — cones are a supply item, not a retail product.
Advantages
- Cones need no cold chain
- Ice cream is now eaten round the year, at weddings too
- Low power need (5 HP)
- Gross margin about 27%
Drawbacks
- Depends on ice cream makers' season
- Cones break in transport
- Big brands make cones in-house
- Moisture makes cones soggy
Skills you need
- Batter consistency and baking
- Moisture-proof packing
- B2B selling to ice cream makers
- Machine upkeep
Why difficulty 2/5: One main machine and simple inputs; selling to ice cream makers is the key.
§3Market
Who buys
- Local and unbranded ice cream makers
- Branded ice cream companies (tie-up)
How it sells
- Direct supply in cartons
- Wholesale dealers of ice cream packing items
Good to know
- The report says to focus on semi-urban and rural markets, where cheaper local ice cream sells.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic ice cream cone plant: sifter, dough kneader, automatic cone machine, sugar pulveriser, weighing scales | 1 | ₹7.00 lakh |
| Lab equipment | 1 lot | ₹50,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Ice cream cone making (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Wheat flour, corn flour and sugar200 t a year at ₹35,000 a tonne = ₹66.50 L at full capacity
- Water, shortening, colour, flavour and saltcolours and flavours are bought from specialist suppliers
From: PMEGP sample project report — Ice cream cone making (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence or registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
Prepared for PMEGP; PMFME and CGTMSE also fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Building & civil work (1,500 sq ft) ₹3.50 L + plant & machinery ₹8.00 L + furniture ₹0.50 L + pre-operative ₹0.50 L + working capital ₹9.11 L = ₹21.60 L. Term loan ₹11.25 L, working-capital finance ₹8.20 L, own ₹2.16 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹9.11 L (bank ₹8.20 L): 30 days of raw material and 15 days of finished cones.
Year not printed in the report — check current machinery and raw-material prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: APEDA
- Cones are fragile and bulky, so export is rare for small units.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Off-season slump
- Breakage and returns
- Flour and sugar price swings
- Dependence on a few buyers
§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 ice cream cone making 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 Ice Cream Cone Making?
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.