§1What this business is

Harvested kidney beans are pre-cleaned on a vibrating screen, passed through a magnetic separator, de-stoner and gravity separator, colour-sorted for a uniform look, weighed and packed. There is no cooking or milling. Rajma (the DPR calls it Kholar) is a staple pulse in North India, grown mainly in J&K, Uttarakhand, Himachal and Maharashtra.

Capacity: 300 kg an hour; 7,20,000 kg of beans a year gives 6,48,000 kg of packed rajma after 10% wastage. The DPR starts at 30% (1,94,400 kg) and reaches 50% in year 5.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A pulse trader or FPO in a rajma-growing area who wants to sell cleaned, branded packs.

Who it is not for

Someone without buying links in rajma areas or a distribution network.

Advantages

  • Rajma-chawal is a staple in North India — steady demand
  • No cooking or milling — only cleaning, sorting and packing
  • Low break-even (27%) in the DPR
  • Colour sorting gives a uniform, premium-looking pack

Drawbacks

  • Thin first-year profit (₹1.67 L)
  • The colour sorter alone costs ₹6.00 L
  • Hill rajma is seasonal and comes from distant areas
  • Competes with loose rajma sold cheaply in mandis

Skills you need

  • Grading beans by size, colour and moisture
  • Running a colour sorter
  • Wholesale and grocery selling
  • Stock control and pest management

Why difficulty 2/5: Simple cleaning and packing; buying well and building a brand decide profit.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Grocery and kirana shops
  • Wholesalers and distributors
  • Hotels, dhabas and caterers
  • Supermarkets

How it sells

  • Wholesale trade
  • Modern retail and online
  • Institutional supply

Good to know

  • The DPR prices a 1 kg packet at ₹70 in year 1, rising ₹4 a year.
  • The DPR notes rising use of pulses in ready-to-eat and snack foods.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Vibrating pre-cleaner (300 kg/hr)1₹1,50,000
De-stoner1₹1,75,000
Magnetic separator1₹1,00,000
Gravity separator1₹1,30,000
Colour sorting machine1₹6,00,000
Weighing and packaging machine1₹3,80,000
Bins, trolley, conveyor, silos, weighing machine, bucket elevator—₹3,50,000

From: NIFTEM-K project profile — Kholar (Rajma) Processing Unit (PMFME model DPR) (2022)

  • Harvested kidney beans (rajma)bought after threshing from the local market; costed at ₹43 a kg in year 1
  • Packing material1 kg packets / sacks

From: NIFTEM-K project profile — Kholar (Rajma) Processing Unit (PMFME model DPR) (2022)

§5Licences & registration

  1. FSSAI licence
  2. Udyam
  3. GST
  4. Mandi licence for buying (state rules)
  5. Legal Metrology registration for packed goods

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMFME (the DPR is a PMFME model with a 35% subsidy up to ₹10 L), AIF (cleaning and grading is primary processing), PMEGP and CGTMSE fit. Bank finance in the DPR is ₹18.80 L (term loan ₹12.29 L + working capital ₹6.51 L), within the MUDRA ₹20 L limit.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: NIFTEM-K PMFME model DPR: total ₹29.59 L = plant & machinery ₹18.85 L + miscellaneous assets ₹3.50 L + working capital ₹7.24 L. Premises rented (rent ₹3.60 L in year 1).

Working capital: Working capital ₹7.24 L (bank limit ₹6.51 L): 7 days of beans and packed rajma in stock, 10 days' credit to buyers. Beans are costed at ₹43 a kg in year 1; a 1 kg packet sells at ₹70.

Year not printed in the DPR; NIFTEM-K published it in July 2022 — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export

0713.33Kidney beans, including white pea beans, dried and shelled

Export council / board: APEDA

  • Pulse trade policy changes often — check current DGFT notifications and the 8-digit ITC(HS) line before shipping.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Rajma price swings after harvest
  • Insects in stored beans
  • Low-price competition from loose stock
  • Changes in pulse import or stock-limit policy

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working rajma (kidney bean) cleaning and packing unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (FSSAI licence, Udyam), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

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 Rajma (Kidney Bean) Cleaning and Packing Unit?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. NIFTEM-K project profile — Kholar (Rajma) Processing Unit (PMFME model DPR) (2022)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.