§1What this business is
Ripe lemons are washed on a conveyor, pressed in a juice extractor, filtered, heated in a kettle, homogenised with added micronutrients and filled into bottles. The DPR calls the product fortified citrus lemon juice and plans 500 kg of juice a day. It is written as a new juice line added to an existing fruit unit, so land and the main building are taken as already available.
Capacity: 150 MT of fortified lemon juice a year (500 kg a day), 300 working days of 10 hours. Planned at 70%, 80% and 90% of capacity in years 2, 3 and 4. Raw lemon needed: 350, 400 and 450 kg a day at those levels.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A fruit processor or FPO in a lemon belt who already has a shed and wants to add a juice line.
Who it is not for
Someone far from lemon orchards who would buy fruit at summer retail prices.
Advantages
- Lemon is cheap in season — the DPR takes ₹7 a kg
- Small machine line; the listed machines add to under ₹18 L
- Sold to homes, juice shops, caterers and drink makers
- Peel and seed can be sold on for oil and pectin makers
Drawbacks
- Lemon prices swing sharply between season and summer
- Juice yield is low — the DPR takes 22% recovery
- Needs cold storage for fruit (kept below 6°C in the DPR)
- The DPR's profit figures are very optimistic
Skills you need
- Buying and grading lemons in season
- Juice extraction, filtering and pasteurising
- Hygiene and FSSAI record keeping
- Selling to distributors and food-service buyers
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple line, but seasonal fruit and shelf-life control need care.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households through kirana and supermarkets
- Juice shops, restaurants and caterers
- Squash, cordial and soft-drink makers
How it sells
- Local distributors and wholesalers
- Direct supply to hotels and caterers
- Online grocery platforms
Good to know
- The DPR assumes a selling price of ₹200 a kg of fortified juice.
- The DPR asks the processor to tie up with farmer producer companies for a steady lemon supply.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cold store (1,500 kg) | 1 | ₹4.5 lakh |
| Lemon washing tank with conveyor (100 kg/hr) | 1 | ₹2.7 lakh |
| Fruit juice extractor (continuous) | 1 | ₹2.2 lakh |
| Filter press (100 kg/hr) | 1 | ₹0.8 lakh |
| Inline homogeniser (100 kg/batch) | 1 | ₹1.8 lakh |
| Gas-fired kettle, 200 litre | 1 | ₹1.8 lakh |
| Insulated juice storage tank | 1 | ₹1.5 lakh |
| Bottling line | 1 | ₹1.45 lakh |
| Weighing balance | 1 | ₹0.2 lakh |
| Accessories | 1 | ₹0.9 lakh |
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Lemon Juice
- Fresh lemons₹7 a kg in the DPR; 22% juice recovery; 350–450 kg a day
- Other ingredients (fortificants, preservative)small quantities; ₹0.10 L in year 2 in the DPR
- Bottles, caps and labelspacking material
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Lemon Juice
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- FSSAI licence or registration
- Trade licence or factory permission from the local body
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
At this size the project fits PMFME (35% credit-linked grant, up to ₹10 lakh) or PMEGP (manufacturing up to ₹50 lakh) — choose one subsidy; MUDRA or a CGTMSE-backed loan can cover the working capital.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Building 20 × 32 × 12 ft ₹4.44 L + machinery and equipment ₹23.55 L + utilities (water, power) ₹3 L + other fixed assets ₹0.9 L + pre-operative ₹0.90 L + contingencies ₹1.00 L + working capital margin ₹0.25 L = ₹34.04 L, as printed in the Project at a Glance and section 2.10. The machine list itself adds to ₹17.85 L; the DPR's ₹23.55 L machinery total also contains contingency, water and power, fixed-asset and pre-operative lines.
Working capital: Working capital gap ₹23.25 L in year 2, ₹26.57 L in year 3 and ₹34.16 L in year 4; bank finance ₹17.44 L, ₹19.93 L and ₹25.62 L. The project-cost table counts only ₹0.25 L as margin.
Year not printed on the DPR (the PMFME scheme began in 2020) — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: APEDA
- The DPR prints no HS code — look up the exact code in the DGFT ITC-HS schedule before you quote to a foreign buyer.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Off-season fruit prices wiping out the margin
- Bitterness or browning if juice is over-heated
- Spoilage from poor bottle sealing
- Real selling price below the DPR's ₹200 a kg
§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 lemon juice (bottled, fortified) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST 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
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Lemon Juice (Bottled, Fortified)?
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.