The story
Malwa's love of sev and poha made Indore a city of namkeen shops, and many of them grew into factories that pack and ship across India. Gram flour, edible oil and spices are easy to source from the region's mandis. The units came together as the Indore Namkeen & Mishthan Cluster, which the MSME-DI profile records as selected as an innovative cluster.
In numbers
The Indore namkeen cluster had 350 functional units, a turnover of Rs 420 crore, exports of Rs 2 crore and employment of 12,000.
Brief Industrial Profile of Indore District (MSME-DI, Ministry of MSME) · 2016
Ways in for a newcomer
- Contract packing and private-label namkeen for retailers
- Supply of besan, spices and packaging film
- Sugar-free sweets, which the cluster itself lists as a need
- Export-grade packing and shelf-life testing
Problems the cluster faces
- No common effluent treatment plant
- Raw material price swings for gram flour and oil
- Very small exports so far
Businesses to start here
Namkeen / Bhujia Unit →Besan (Gram Flour) Unit →Snack Seasoning Blends →Masala / Spice Grinding Unit →Snack Pouch Packing Unit →Extruded Snacks Unit →