§1What this business is
Mandarin oranges are washed, the juice and pulp are extracted, and the peel is cut into fine shreds. Juice, peel shreds, sugar and pectin are boiled in kettles to a set point, then filled hot into bottles, capped and labelled. For each kg of marmalade the DPR counts 1 kg of juice extract, 0.55 kg of sugar and 5 g of pectin. It is written as an expansion of an existing unit.
Capacity: 120 MT of processed mandarin orange a year, 300 days of 8–10 hours. Planned at 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% of capacity in years 2–5 (72, 84, 96 and 108 MT).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A jam or squash maker in an orange-growing district who wants a higher-priced product for hotels and city stores.
Who it is not for
Someone who needs quick returns — the DPR shows payback in 4 years.
Advantages
- Uses peel as well as juice, so little of the fruit is wasted
- Glass-jar preserve with a long shelf life
- Sells at a premium over plain jam — ₹220 a kg in the DPR
- Hotels and bakeries buy it in bulk
Drawbacks
- Almost no profit in the first working year (₹1.45 L)
- Raw material is costly — ₹85.97 L in year 2
- Marmalade is a niche taste in India
- Oranges come only in season
Skills you need
- Judging the setting point of pectin gels
- Peel shredding and removing bitterness
- Hot filling and jar sterilising
- Selling to hotels, bakeries and gourmet shops
Why difficulty 3/5: Getting a clear, well-set marmalade takes practice, and the market is small.
§3Market
Who buys
- Hotels, resorts and airline or railway caterers
- Bakeries and cake shops
- Supermarkets and gourmet stores
How it sells
- Food-service distributors
- Direct supply to hotels and bakeries
- Online marketplaces and own website
Good to know
- The DPR assumes an average selling price of ₹220 a kg.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Weighing scale (0.5 HP) | 1 | ₹1.00 lakh |
| Washer (5 HP) | 1 | ₹2.00 lakh |
| Pulper (5 HP) | 1 | ₹3.00 lakh |
| Shredder (2 HP) | 1 | ₹2.00 lakh |
| Kettle (5 HP) | 4 | ₹4.00 lakh |
| Bottle filler (10 HP) | 1 | ₹3.00 lakh |
| Capping and labelling machine (5 HP) | 1 | ₹2.00 lakh |
| Boiler (5 HP) | 1 | ₹3.00 lakh |
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Mandarin Orange Marmalade
- Mandarin oranges₹50 a kg in the DPR
- Sugar0.55 kg for each kg of product
- Pectin and other additives5 g of each for each kg of product
- Glass bottles, caps and labelspackaging at ₹50 a unit in the DPR
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Mandarin Orange Marmalade
§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: Extra built-up area 1,000 sq ft at ₹200 a sq ft ₹2.00 L + machinery and equipment ₹20.00 L + utilities and fittings ₹2.00 L + miscellaneous fixed assets ₹2.00 L + pre-operative ₹0.25 L + contingencies ₹2.00 L + working capital margin ₹6.54 L = ₹34.80 L (rounded off in Table 11).
Working capital: Working capital gap ₹26.15 L, ₹32.13 L and ₹36.67 L in years 2–4; margin money (25%) ₹6.54 L, ₹8.03 L and ₹9.17 L; bank finance ₹19.61 L, ₹24.10 L and ₹27.50 L.
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
- Batches that do not set or turn bitter
- Slow retail off-take outside big cities
- Orange price jump in a poor season
- Glass breakage in transport
§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 orange marmalade 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 Orange Marmalade?
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.