§1What this business is
Maize is cleaned and graded, soaked in hot water, dried, roasted and passed through a flaker-polisher; sieves remove bran and broken pieces, and flakes are packed in polythene bags. Fried flakes go into chivda namkeen; dry-roasted flakes are eaten with milk. Bran and broken maize sell to cattle-feed makers.
Capacity: 238 tonnes a year of flakes, bran and broken maize (value ₹78.00 L); 80% recovery as flakes, 15% bran and broken, 5% process loss.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A grain trader or namkeen maker in a maize-growing area; the profile names Maharashtra as the preferred location.
Who it is not for
Someone without grain-buying experience.
Advantages
- Simple process with few machines
- Steady demand from namkeen makers
- By-products also sell (cattle feed)
- Maize is widely grown
Drawbacks
- Thin margin on a large turnover
- Maize price swings
- Coal-fired furnace adds smoke and fuel cost
- Big cereal brands own the breakfast market
Skills you need
- Maize grading and buying
- Roasting and flaking control
- Packing and hygiene
- Selling to namkeen makers
Why difficulty 2/5: Easy technology; profit depends on grain buying and volume.
§3Market
Who buys
- Namkeen and chivda makers
- Grocery shops and wholesalers
- Health-food buyers (dry-roasted flakes)
- Cattle-feed makers (bran and broken maize)
How it sells
- Direct supply to namkeen units
- Grain and grocery wholesalers
- Retail packs under your own brand
Good to know
- The profile notes rising health awareness and the popularity of chivda in Maharashtra.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity-operated roaster | 1 | — |
| Flaker-polisher | 1 | — |
| Coal-fired furnace | 1 | — |
| Sieves | 2 | — |
| Sealing machine and weighing scales | 1 set | — |
| Total equipment (all items above) | 1 lot | ₹3.85 lakh |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Maize Flakes (PMEGP)
- Maize grainmain input; raw material ₹65.50 lakh a year in the profile
- Polythene packing bags and labelslabels and packing ₹60,000 a year in the profile
From: KVIC Project Profile — Maize Flakes (PMEGP)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Chheligada Maize Cluster · Gajapati →Gundimala Maize And Vermi Composting Cluster · Jogulamba Gadwal →Maize Processing Cluster,Bagalkot · Bagalkot →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence or registration (by turnover)
- Udyam registration
- GST
- State Pollution Control Board consent (coal-fired furnace)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
PMEGP fits (KVIC profile); PMFME for micro food units; MUDRA up to ₹20 L; CGTMSE; Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC (REGP) profile: workshed 150 sq m ₹1.50 L + equipment ₹3.85 L (electric roaster, flaker-polisher, coal-fired furnace, 2 sieves, sealing machine, weighing scales) = capital ₹5.35 L, + working capital ₹6.00 L = ₹11.35 L.
Working capital: Maize is the main cost (raw material ₹65.50 L a year); working capital ₹6.00 L — buy maize at harvest when prices are low.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: APEDA
- Raw (unroasted) flaked maize is classified differently — confirm with customs.
- 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
- Maize price rise
- Low recovery from poor grain
- Moisture and pests in stock
- Thin margins
§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 maize 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 (by turnover), 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 Maize Flakes?
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.