§1What this business is
Pineapples are washed, peeled, cored and cut by hand. The pieces are blanched in a gas-fired kettle, steeped in sugar syrup tanks until the sugar soaks in, dried in a tray dryer and packed in jars or pouches with induction sealing and shrink wrap. The DPR plans 500 kg of candy a day. It is written as a new line in an existing fruit unit.
Capacity: 150 MT of pineapple candy a year (500 kg a day), 300 days. The Project at a Glance plans 55%, 65%, 75%, 90% and 100% of capacity in years 2–6. The raw-material section speaks of 350, 400 and 450 kg of pineapple a day at 70%, 80% and 90%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A fruit processor or SHG group in a pineapple-growing district wanting a shelf-stable product.
Who it is not for
Someone without drying capacity in a humid, rainy area.
Advantages
- Cutting and coring are manual, so machines are few
- Candy keeps for months without cold storage
- Used by bakeries and ice-cream makers as well as sold as a snack
- Pineapple is grown widely in the North-East, West Bengal and Kerala
Drawbacks
- The DPR takes fruit at ₹58 a kg — recheck it against your local price
- Syruping takes days and ties up tanks
- Humid weather makes candy sticky
- Sugar is a large cost
Skills you need
- Peeling, coring and even cutting
- Step-wise syruping to the right sugar level
- Drying without hardening the pieces
- Moisture-proof packing
Why difficulty 2/5: A simple, mostly manual process; care is needed in drying and packing.
§3Market
Who buys
- Bakeries, cake and ice-cream makers
- Sweet shops and dry-fruit stores
- Households through kirana and supermarkets
How it sells
- Bakery-ingredient wholesalers
- Area distributors
- Online marketplaces
Good to know
- The DPR assumes an average selling price of ₹200 a kg of candy.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cold store (1,500 kg) | 1 | ₹6 lakh |
| Fruit washing trough (500 litre) | 1 | ₹2.5 lakh |
| Fruit cutter (manual) | 1 | ₹0.3 lakh |
| Core removal tool (manual) | 4 | ₹0.06 lakh |
| Blanching kettle, gas operated (300 litre) | 1 | ₹1.5 lakh |
| Sugar syrup tank (500 litre) | 4 | ₹2.4 lakh |
| Dryer (120 kg/batch) | 1 | ₹2.2 lakh |
| Induction sealer | 1 | ₹0.3 lakh |
| Shrink tunnel | 1 | ₹0.35 lakh |
| Weighing balance | 1 | ₹0.06 lakh |
| Accessories | 1 | ₹0.5 lakh |
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Pineapple Candy
- Ripe pineapples₹58 a kg in the DPR; 45% recovery
- Sugar and citric acidfor the syrup
- Jars or pouches, shrink film and labelspacking material
From: NIFTEM-Thanjavur (IIFPT) PMFME model DPR — Pineapple Candy
§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 L + plant and machinery ₹16.17 L + utilities ₹0.8 L + other fixed assets ₹0.9 L + pre-operative ₹0.90 L + contingencies ₹1.20 L + working capital margin ₹6.13 L = ₹30.10 L, as printed in the Project at a Glance and section 2.10.
Working capital: Margin money (25% of the working capital gap) ₹6.13 L, ₹7.25 L and ₹9.88 L in years 2–4; bank finance ₹18.40 L, ₹21.74 L and ₹29.65 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
- Mould growth if drying is incomplete
- Fermentation of syrup in storage
- Glut-season fruit quality problems
- Real 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 pineapple candy (candied pineapple) 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 Pineapple Candy (Candied Pineapple)?
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.