§1What this business is
Raw turmeric rhizomes are washed, boiled, dried, polished and ground into powder; part is solvent-extracted for curcumin and turmeric oil, which are made into capsules, oils and soap, then packed. The profile plans 5,000 kg of powder, 500 kg of curcumin extract, 200 kg of turmeric oil, 1,000 kg of soap and 1,500 kg of capsules a year. Buyers are shops, Ayurvedic and organic stores, online marketplaces, wellness centres and export buyers.
Capacity: A year: turmeric powder 5,000 kg, curcumin extract 500 kg, turmeric oil 200 kg, turmeric soap 1,000 kg, capsules 1,500 kg.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A farmer group, FPO or food-processing entrepreneur in a turmeric-growing area who can brand and sell herbal products.
Who it is not for
Someone who only wants to grind powder — the profit in the profile comes from extract, oil and capsules.
Advantages
- Turmeric is in every kitchen and in many herbal products
- Curcumin and turmeric oil sell at high prices (₹3,500 and ₹8,000 a kg in the profile)
- Many products from one raw material
- Export demand from the USA, Europe and the Middle East
Drawbacks
- Raw turmeric prices swing year to year
- Solvent extraction needs care and safety checks
- Capsules and soap bring extra licences
- Branding and packaging need money and skill
Skills you need
- Turmeric processing and drying
- Solvent extraction and quality testing
- Herbal product formulation
- Branding, online selling and export paperwork
Why difficulty 3/5: Powder is simple, but extraction, capsules and export need technical and licensing work.
§3Market
Who buys
- Grocery and general stores
- Ayurvedic and organic stores
- Wellness centres and tourists (herbal souvenirs)
- Export buyers in the USA, Europe and the Middle East
How it sells
- Retail outlets
- Online marketplaces and own website
- Trade fairs and B2B export tie-ups
Good to know
- The profile plans ₹35.00 L of home sales and ₹19.50 L of export sales a year.
- Weak points named: low awareness of value addition, poor packaging and branding, weak market links, price swings and costly export certification.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Grinder and pulveriser | 1 | ₹1.50 L |
| Solvent extractor | 1 | ₹2.00 L |
| Tray dryer | 1 | ₹0.30 L |
| Spray dryer | 1 | ₹1.20 L |
| Packaging machine (bottle filler) | 1 | ₹0.50 L |
| Capsule filling machine | 1 | ₹0.60 L |
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Turmeric-Based Value-Added Products
- Raw turmeric rhizomesfrom local farms, preferably organic-certified
- Solvents such as ethanolfor extracting curcumin and turmeric oil
- Bottles, jars, pouches, boxes and labelsconsumer-ready packing
- Natural preservativesfor shelf life of extracts
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Turmeric-Based Value-Added Products
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Aloe Vera, Turmeric Moring And Mushroom Value Addition Cluster · Namsai →Chinthapalli Turmeric Cluster · Visakhapatanam →Koraput Turmeric Product Cluster · Koraput →Kuchdhuwa Turmeric Cluster · Goalpara →Lumbajong Ginger And Turmeric Cluster · Karbi Anglong →Nizamabad Turmeric Cluster · Nizamabad →Phiringia Turmeric Cluster · Kandhamal →Turmeric Cluster · Ranipet →Turmeric, Ginger And Moringa Processing Cluster · Zunheboto →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Kochi · Kochi →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Mumbai · Navi Mumbai →Spices Board Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Guntur · Guntur →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- FSSAI licence (powder, extract, capsules)
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Trade licence from the local body
- Consent from the State Pollution Control Board
- Cosmetic manufacturing licence from the state drug controller for turmeric soap
- Spices Board registration (RCMC) and IEC to export
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMFMECentralUnclear35% subsidy, up to ₹10 lakh
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMFME (micro food processing), PMEGP, MUDRA (₹12.00 L is within its ₹20 L limit) and CGTMSE fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DUY profile: land and building (rented) ₹1.50 L, plant and machinery ₹4.00 L, working capital ₹5.00 L, miscellaneous ₹1.50 L = ₹12.00 L. Finance: own ₹4.80 L (40%), bank ₹7.20 L (60%). The profile's own equipment list adds up to ₹6.10 L, more than the ₹4.00 L machinery line.
Working capital: Working capital ₹5.00 L — buy turmeric at harvest when prices are lowest and store it dry.
Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current machinery and material prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: Spices Board India
- Get an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
- Register with the Spices Board (RCMC) to export turmeric and its extracts.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Turmeric price swings
- Low curcumin content in the raw lot
- Licence delays for capsules and soap
- Export quality rejections
§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 turmeric value-added products 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 (powder, extract, capsules), 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 Turmeric Value-Added Products?
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.