HowIndiaEarns

Business ideaFood processing

Khakhra Making Business

खाखरा बनाने का व्यवसाय · खाकरा उद्योग

Roll and roast thin wheat khakhra in plain, methi, jeera and masala flavours and sell packed to shops, sweet marts and online buyers.

Can start from home₹5–10 lakhPrices not yet confirmed with suppliers

Investment

₹9.5 lakh

Profit a month*

₹39,000

Space
500 sq ft
Staff
7 + you

*Operating profit before the loan instalment in year 2, at the assumed sales level. Change the assumptions in the calculator below.

Khakhra is a thin, crisp roasted roti from Gujarat, eaten as a light snack across India. A unit kneads wheat dough with a little oil and spices, presses thin rounds on a khakhra machine and roasts them under pressure until crisp, then packs them in stacks. The work is labour-heavy and mostly done by women, at home or in a small shed. Khakhra is not fried and keeps for a few months, which has widened its market among health-conscious buyers. Earnings depend on how many kilos your team can roast each day and on steady orders. The hard parts are breakage, keeping every piece evenly roasted, and a market with many Gujarat-based makers selling at low prices.

Skills needed: Roasting skill (learnt in a few weeks), a consistent recipe, hygiene and careful packing.

Profit calculator

Change the numbers to match your town

55 kg/day: Khakhra, packed (plain, methi, jeera, masala)

Total investment

₹9.5 lakh

Your own money

₹95,014

Subsidy

—

Bank loan

₹8.55 lakh

Mudra Tarun

A typical month in year 2

Sales₹2,26,875
Raw material & packing−₹96,250
Electricity−₹3,425
Salaries−₹69,300
Rent−₹8,400
Other running costs−₹10,500
Operating profit₹39,000
Loan instalment (EMI)−₹19,938
You keep each month₹19,062

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.

Break-even at 44% capacityDSCR 2.71 (banks like ≥1.5)Payback ≈ 2.6 years

Need this for a bank loan?

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 report

Investment breakdown

Machinery & equipmentPrice
Semi-automatic khakhra making (pressing) machineListed at 450–3,000 pieces/hr; ask for a demonstration₹2,75,000₹1.8 lakh–₹2.75 lakh
Khakhra roasting machine (pedal type) × 5₹3,25,000₹65,000–₹75,000
Dough kneader10–20 kg batch₹45,000₹30,000–₹70,000
Band sealer₹18,000₹12,000–₹30,000
Weighing scales₹9,000₹6,000–₹15,000
Work tables, trays and racks₹30,000
Machinery & equipment (without add-ons)₹7,02,000
FSSAI, Udyam and other registrations₹4,000
Pouch and box design, printing₹15,000
Gas line and electricity wiring₹15,000
Trial production and samples₹8,000
Working capital 10 days of raw material, 15 days of credit to buyers, 1 month of expenses₹2,06,138
Total project cost₹9,50,138

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

Khakhra, packed (plain, methi, jeera, masala) (per kg)₹
Wheat flour (0.95 kg at ₹32/kg)30.00
Oil or ghee, methi, jeera and spices20.00
Pouches, labels and cartons12.00
LPG for roasting8.00
Material cost70.00
Selling price165.00
Margin before running costs95.00 (58%)

Wholesale rate; marketplace listings for plain and methi khakhra are around ₹160–170/kg, with a wider range of ₹90–210.

Space, power and staff

500 sq ft

Rented shed · rent ≈ ₹8,000/month

Small-town rent. Roasting gives off heat, so ventilation matters. A home unit can start with hand rolling and two roasters.

4 kW, single-phase

Bill ≈ ₹5,000/month at full capacity

7 staff + you

  • 6 × Roasting and packing workers: ₹9,000
  • 1 × Sales and delivery: ₹12,000

Licences and registrations

FSSAI registration / licence

mandatory

When: 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

recommended

When: Before applying for a loan · Cost: Free

Apply only on udyamregistration.gov.in.

GST registration

if applicable

When: When turnover crosses the registration limit, or for marketplace selling · Cost: Free

The GST treatment of khakhra changed in the 2025 rate revision. Confirm the current rate and the registration limit with a CA. Selling on most online marketplaces needs GST registration.

Legal Metrology packer registration

if applicable

When: Before selling pre-packed khakhra with MRP · Cost: Varies by state

Shop and Establishment registration

if applicable

When: When you rent a shed or hire staff · Cost: Small fee; varies by state

How it works

  1. Knead wheat flour with oil, salt and flavour ingredients; rest the dough.
  2. Divide into small balls and press thin rounds on the khakhra machine.
  3. Half-cook each round, then roast under pressure until crisp and evenly coloured.
  4. Cool completely on racks.
  5. Stack, weigh, pack in pouches and boxes, and seal.

Loan route

Mudra loan (Tarun)

Own money ₹95,014 · Loan ₹8.55 lakh · EMI ≈ ₹19,938

No collateral, no subsidy.

How Mudra works

PMEGP (new units)

Subsidy ₹1.43 lakh (general, urban) to ₹3.33 lakh (special category, rural). EMI ≈ ₹16,615–₹13,292.

Own money 5–10%. Subsidy is held as a 3-year deposit, then adjusted against the loan.

How PMEGP works

Assumes 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 dairies
  • Supermarkets and health-food stores
  • Gujarati and Jain households (direct)
  • Online buyers
  • Travellers and gift-pack buyers

Ways to sell

  • Shop-to-shop sales
  • Distributors in nearby cities
  • Marketplaces and your own WhatsApp catalogue
  • Exhibitions and community events

Season: Steady all year, with higher sales before Diwali and the travel season.

Competition: Many units in Gujarat and Mumbai sell at low prices. New units compete on local freshness, flavours and good packing that prevents breakage.

Risks and how to handle them

Breakage in transport

Use snug trays or boxes, test-ship before bulk orders and keep delivery distances short at first.

Uneven roasting and burnt pieces

Train each worker on one roaster and check a sample from every hour's output.

Workers leave after training

Pay by output with a fair base, and keep one extra trained person.

Khakhra turns soft or rancid

Cool fully before packing, use good barrier pouches and limit the oil in the dough.

Tips from the trade

  • Plain, methi and jeera make up most sales; add fancy flavours later.
  • Small 200 g packs sell better in shops than 1 kg packs.
  • Broken pieces can be sold as khakhra chura at a lower price.

Questions people ask

Can khakhra be made without machines?+

Yes. Traditional khakhra is hand-rolled and roasted on a tawa with a wooden press. It is slow, so most units that supply shops use a pressing machine and pedal roasters.

What is the shelf life of khakhra?+

Usually two to four months when properly roasted, cooled and packed. Test your own product before printing a date.

How much investment is needed to start a khakhra making business?+

About ₹9.5 lakh for a small unit: ₹7.02 lakh for machinery and equipment, ₹42,000 for set-up costs and ₹2.06 lakh as working capital (stock, credit to buyers and one month of expenses). Prices as of October 2026.

How much profit can a khakhra making business make per month?+

At 55% of capacity, sales are about ₹2.27 lakh a month and operating profit about ₹39,000 before the loan instalment. After an EMI of about ₹19,938, the owner keeps about ₹19,062 a month until the loan is repaid. These are estimates; your prices, rent and sales decide the real figure.

Which machines are needed for khakhra making?+

Semi-automatic khakhra making (pressing) machine (₹1.8 lakh–₹2.75 lakh); Khakhra roasting machine (pedal type) (₹65,000–₹75,000); Dough kneader (₹30,000–₹70,000); Band sealer (₹12,000–₹30,000).

Can I get a Mudra loan or PMEGP subsidy for khakhra making?+

With a project cost of about ₹9.5 lakh, the bank loan of about ₹8.55 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 ₹3.33 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 khakhra 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.

Similar businesses

Sources

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.