§1What this business is
The unit runs two lines. For tomato products: select, wash, pulp, cook with spices, add preservatives, fill, seal and label. For pickles: clean and cut fruit, salt it to soften, grind spices, mix, bottle and label. The KVIC profile sees good demand in India and for export, and more employment in rural areas.
Capacity: Printed as 1,000 units (number/quintal) a year of ketchup, sauce and pickles; production cost ₹43.55 lakh at full capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A women's self-help group, FPO or rural food entrepreneur with access to seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot manage seasonal buying and a large workforce.
Advantages
- Two product lines spread the season risk
- Pickles keep well and sell all year
- Creates rural jobs (18 workers)
- Uses local fruit and tomatoes
Drawbacks
- Thin margin — net surplus ₹3.70 lakh on ₹48 lakh sales
- Large wage bill (₹11.75 lakh)
- Many local pickle makers compete
- Old profile; prices need updating
Skills you need
- Pickle and sauce recipes
- Food hygiene and preservation
- Seasonal buying and stock control
- Local and institutional selling
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple processes, but thin margins and seasonal buying need tight control.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Hotels, dhabas and caterers
- Hostels and institutions
How it sells
- Local shops and weekly haats
- Distributors to kirana shops
- Exhibitions and SHG outlets
Good to know
- The profile says these products have very good demand in the national market and for export.
- It notes an FPO licence was required — this is now covered by the FSSAI licence.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| SS/aluminium-top working tables (3'x2½'x6') | 2 | — |
| Pulper, homogenizer, steam-jacketed kettle | — | — |
| Bottle washing machine, PP cap sealing machine, vacuum filling machine | — | — |
| Baby boiler with accessories, lab items, platform and table weighing scales | — | — |
| Exhaust fans (2), water tanks, drums (4), knives, ladles and utensils | — | — |
| All equipment together | — | ₹5,00,000 |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Tomato Products and Pickles (PMEGP)
- Tomatoes and seasonal fruit for picklesraw material ₹26,24,000 a year at full capacity
- Salt, spices, oil and preservatives
- Labels and packing material₹52,480 a year
From: KVIC Project Profile — Tomato Products and Pickles (PMEGP)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Ambica Packers and Printers · Delhi →Aroras Box and Cartons Pvt Ltd · Gurugram →Jain Packaging Products · Delhi →B. Sen Berry and Company · Delhi →Control Print (India) Ltd · Delhi →Cowal Can Ltd · Barotiwala →Eastend Engineering Co · Kolkata →Energy Pack Boilers Pvt. Ltd · Vadodara →Hyderabad Tulaman Limited · Secunderabed →Jyothy Industries · Bengaluru →Kalpana Boilers · Mumbai →Poysha Industries Co. Ltd · Delhi →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
- Trademark for the brand
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP fits this ₹17 lakh unit; PMFME's 35% subsidy suits micro food units, SHGs and FPOs; MUDRA and CGTMSE also fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile total ₹17,00,000: work shed 2,500 sq ft ₹5,00,000; equipment ₹5,00,000 (working tables, pulper, homogenizer, steam-jacketed kettle, bottle washing machine, PP cap sealing machine, vacuum filling machine, baby boiler, lab items, weighing scales, exhaust fans, water tanks, drums, utensils, furniture); working capital ₹7,00,000. Land own.
Working capital: Working capital ₹7,00,000 (requirement per cycle ₹7,25,913) — raw fruit and tomato are bought in season.
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
- Get an IEC and register with APEDA (RCMC) before exporting pickles and sauces.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Spoilage and fungus in pickles
- Raw material price spikes
- Low margins
- FSSAI non-compliance
§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 tomato products and pickles unit 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, 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 Tomato Products and Pickles Unit?
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.