Chikki Making Business
चिक्की बनाने का व्यवसाय · चिक्की उद्योग
Make groundnut, sesame and dry-fruit chikki from roasted nuts and jaggery syrup, cut into bars and sell packed to shops and travellers.
Investment
₹6.8 lakh
Profit a month*
₹36,000
- Space
- 500 sq ft
- Staff
- 5 + you
*Operating profit before the loan instalment in year 2, at the assumed sales level. Change the assumptions in the calculator below.
Chikki is a brittle sweet made by mixing roasted groundnuts, sesame or other nuts into hot jaggery syrup, rolling the mix into a sheet and cutting it into bars. A small unit needs a roaster, a cooking kadai, a rolling and cutting table or machine and a sealer. The recipe is simple, but judging the syrup stage takes practice, so a skilled karigar matters. Chikki keeps for a few months, travels well and is bought as a snack, a winter sweet and a tourist-town souvenir. Money is made in the cold months, when most of the year's sales happen. The hard parts are weak summer and monsoon demand, sticky or soft chikki from humidity, and groundnut and jaggery price swings.
Skills needed: Syrup (pak) judgement and fast rolling and cutting. Usually learnt from an experienced karigar over a season.
Profit calculator
Change the numbers to match your town60 kg/day: Groundnut and sesame chikki, packed
Total investment
₹6.81 lakh
Your own money
₹68,092
Subsidy
—
Bank loan
₹6.13 lakh
Mudra Tarun
A typical month in year 2
| Sales | ₹2,70,000 |
| Raw material & packing | −₹1,53,000 |
| Electricity | −₹2,600 |
| Salaries | −₹60,900 |
| Rent | −₹8,400 |
| Other running costs | −₹9,450 |
| Operating profit | ₹35,650 |
| Loan instalment (EMI) | −₹14,289 |
| You keep each month | ₹21,361 |
After the loan is repaid, the EMI becomes your income too. Your own salary is not counted as a cost: the profit is your income.
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Turn these numbers into a full project report: cost of project, means of finance, 5-year profit and loss, balance sheet, repayment schedule, DSCR and break-even.
Make my project reportInvestment breakdown
| Machinery & equipment | Price |
|---|---|
| Semi-automatic chikki making machine (cooking and mixing) | ₹1,60,000₹1.6 lakh–₹3.2 lakh |
| Groundnut roasting machineGas heated; a small unit can start with kadai roasting instead | ₹1,60,000 |
| Chikki plate, roller and cutterAbout 50 kg/hr | ₹20,000 |
| Band sealer | ₹18,000₹12,000–₹30,000 |
| Weighing scales | ₹9,000₹6,000–₹15,000 |
| Stainless-steel work tables × 2 | ₹20,000₹7,000–₹15,000 |
| Kadai, burners, trays and storage bins | ₹30,000 |
| Automatic chikki cutting machineadd-on150 kg/hr | ₹2,90,000 |
| Machinery & equipment (without add-ons) | ₹4,17,000 |
| FSSAI, Udyam and other registrations | ₹4,000 |
| Wrapper and box design, printing | ₹15,000 |
| Gas line and electricity wiring | ₹12,000 |
| Trial batches and samples | ₹8,000 |
| Working capital 15 days of raw material, 12 days of credit to buyers, 1 month of expenses | ₹2,24,920 |
| Total project cost | ₹6,80,920 |
Typical market prices as of October 2026, from supplier listings. Prices vary by brand, capacity and city; always get 2–3 quotes.
Cost and margin per unit
| Groundnut and sesame chikki, packed (per kg) | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Groundnut kernels and sesame (0.55 kg at ₹105/kg) | 58.00 |
| Jaggery (0.5 kg at ₹50/kg) | 25.00 |
| Liquid glucose and ghee | 5.00 |
| Wrappers, pouches and boxes | 10.00 |
| LPG for roasting and cooking | 4.00 |
| Material cost | 102.00 |
| Selling price | 180.00 |
| Margin before running costs | 78.00 (43%) |
Wholesale rate to shops for a local brand; check your market. Dry-fruit chikki costs and sells for much more.
Space, power and staff
500 sq ft
Rented shed · rent ≈ ₹8,000/month
Small-town rent. Needs a dry packing room; humidity makes chikki sticky.
4 kW, single-phase
Bill ≈ ₹4,000/month at full capacity
5 staff + you
- 1 × Karigar (chikki maker): ₹16,000
- 3 × Rolling, cutting and packing helpers: ₹10,000
- 1 × Sales and delivery: ₹12,000
Licences and registrations
FSSAI registration / licence
mandatoryWhen: Before you sell · Cost: ₹100/yr for basic registration; state licence ₹2,000–5,000/yr above the turnover limit
The turnover limit for basic registration was reported to be raised in 2026. Check the current limit on foscos.fssai.gov.in.
Udyam registration
recommendedWhen: Before applying for a loan · Cost: Free
Apply only on udyamregistration.gov.in.
GST registration
if applicableWhen: When turnover crosses the registration limit, or a buyer insists · Cost: Free
Confirm the current GST rate for chikki and the registration limit with a CA; food rates were revised in 2025.
Legal Metrology packer registration
if applicableWhen: Before selling pre-packed chikki with MRP · Cost: Varies by state
Shop and Establishment registration
if applicableWhen: When you rent a shed or hire staff · Cost: Small fee; varies by state
How it works
- Roast groundnuts or sesame; remove skins and split.
- Boil jaggery with a little water and glucose to the hard-crack stage.
- Mix in the nuts quickly and pour onto a greased plate.
- Roll to even thickness and cut into bars while still warm.
- Cool fully, wrap each bar and pack in pouches or boxes.
Loan route
Mudra loan (Tarun)
Own money ₹68,092 · Loan ₹6.13 lakh · EMI ≈ ₹14,289
No collateral, no subsidy.
How Mudra worksPMEGP (new units)
Subsidy ₹1.02 lakh (general, urban) to ₹2.38 lakh (special category, rural). EMI ≈ ₹11,907–₹9,526.
Own money 5–10%. Subsidy is held as a 3-year deposit, then adjusted against the loan.
How PMEGP worksAssumes 10.5% interest, 5 years including a 6-month moratorium. PMEGP was approved up to FY 2025-26. Check on the KVIC PMEGP portal that applications are open before you plan around the subsidy.
No collateral and no third-party guarantee (covered by the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units).
Who buys and how to sell
Buyers
- Kirana shops, sweet marts and bakeries
- Bus stands, railway stalls and highway shops
- Tourist and pilgrimage-town shops
- Schools and nutrition programmes (through tenders)
- Online and gift buyers
Ways to sell
- Shop-to-shop sales before winter
- Wholesalers in the sweet and snack market
- Makar Sankranti and festival bulk orders
- Stalls at fairs and exhibitions
Season: Strongly seasonal. Demand peaks from November to February, especially around Makar Sankranti, and is low in summer and the monsoon.
Competition: Well-known regional brands and many seasonal makers. Fresh taste, clean packing and a fair price win local shops.
Risks and how to handle them
Low sales for half the year
Use the same kitchen for other snacks in the off-season and keep permanent staff to a minimum.
Chikki turns soft or sticky
Cook syrup to the correct stage, wrap bars individually and pack in a dry room with good barrier film.
Groundnut and jaggery price rises
Buy part of the season's need early and review prices before the peak.
Burns from hot syrup
Use long-handled tools, gloves and a clear, uncrowded cooking area.
Tips from the trade
- Build stock and visit shops in October; orders come quickly once the weather turns cold.
- Small ₹5–₹10 bars sell faster at stalls than large packs.
- Rancid groundnuts ruin a batch: taste every lot before roasting.
Questions people ask
Can chikki be made without a machine?+
Yes. Traditional chikki is made with a kadai, a rolling pin and a cutting frame. Machines help with volume and uniform size once orders grow.
How long does chikki keep?+
Properly cooked and wrapped chikki commonly keeps two to four months in a dry place. Test your own product before printing a date.
How much investment is needed to start a chikki making business?+
About ₹6.81 lakh for a small unit: ₹4.17 lakh for machinery and equipment, ₹39,000 for set-up costs and ₹2.25 lakh as working capital (stock, credit to buyers and one month of expenses). Prices as of October 2026.
How much profit can a chikki making business make per month?+
At 50% of capacity, sales are about ₹2.7 lakh a month and operating profit about ₹35,650 before the loan instalment. After an EMI of about ₹14,289, the owner keeps about ₹21,361 a month until the loan is repaid. These are estimates; your prices, rent and sales decide the real figure.
Which machines are needed for chikki making?+
Semi-automatic chikki making machine (cooking and mixing) (₹1.6 lakh–₹3.2 lakh); Groundnut roasting machine (about ₹1.6 lakh); Band sealer (₹12,000–₹30,000).
Can I get a Mudra loan or PMEGP subsidy for chikki making?+
With a project cost of about ₹6.81 lakh, the bank loan of about ₹6.13 lakh falls under Mudra Tarun. Mudra has no subsidy. As a new unit you may instead apply under PMEGP, where the subsidy is 15–35% of the project cost (up to about ₹2.38 lakh here for a special-category applicant in a rural area). PMEGP was approved up to FY 2025-26. Check on the KVIC PMEGP portal that applications are open before you plan around the subsidy.
What licences are required for chikki making?+
Mandatory: FSSAI registration / licence. Depending on your set-up you may also need: Udyam registration, GST registration, Legal Metrology packer registration, Shop and Establishment registration.
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Sources
- IndiaMART: chikki making machine prices
- IndiaMART: Abc Agro & Food Machine (chikki machines and roasters)
- IndiaMART: Alfa Machine Tools (chikki machines)
- FSSAI FoSCoS (registration and licensing)
Prices as of October 2026. Prices here come from online listings and published guides and have not yet been confirmed with local suppliers. Profit figures are estimates from the assumptions above, not a promise of income.
Spotted an outdated price? Tell us. Data for this page: HowIndiaEarns.