Chickpea Processing Plant

Capital requirements generally include land acquisition, construction, equipment procurement, installation, pre-operative expenses, and initial working capital. The total amount varies with capacity, technology, and location.

To start a chickpea processing business, one needs to conduct a market feasibility study, secure required licenses, arrange funding, select suitable land, procure equipment, recruit skilled labor, and establish a supply chain and distribution network.

Chickpea processing requires raw materials such as whole, dried chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. The other materials needed depend on the final product being made, like chickpea flour (besan), hummus, or roasted chickpeas.

A chickpea processing factory typically requires cleaning and grading machines, dehulling and splitting units, soaking and drying equipment, roasting or boiling systems, grinding or milling machines, and packaging units. Supporting equipment includes conveyors, storage silos, weighing scales, dust collectors, and quality testing instruments to ensure efficient, hygienic, and large-scale chickpea processing operations.

The main steps generally include:

• Cleaning and grading chickpeas to remove impurities

• Soaking chickpeas to soften and prepare for processing

• Dehulling and splitting chickpeas using specialized machinery

• Drying chickpeas to reduce moisture for storage stability

• Roasting, boiling, or grinding based on product requirements

• Packaging into consumer packs

• Storage and distribution

Usually, the timeline can range from 12 to 24 months to start a chickpea processing plant, depending on factors like site development, machinery installation, environmental clearances, safety measures, and trial runs.

Challenges may include high capital requirements, securing regulatory approvals, ensuring raw material supply, competition, skilled manpower availability, and managing operational risks.

Typical requirements include business registration, environmental clearances, factory licenses, fire safety certifications, and industry-specific permits. Local/state/national regulations may apply depending on the location.

The top chickpea processors are:

• AGT Foods

• Cargill

• ADM

• Bunge

• Adani Wilmar Limited (AWL)

Profitability depends on several factors including market demand, processing efficiency, pricing strategy, raw material cost management, and operational scale. Profit margins usually improve with capacity expansion and increased capacity utilization rates.

Cost components typically include:

• Land and Infrastructure

• Machinery and Equipment

• Building and Civil Construction

• Utilities and Installation

• Working Capital

Break even in a chickpea processing business typically ranges from 3 to 6 years, depending on scale, regulatory compliance costs, raw material pricing, and market demand. Efficient processing and export opportunities can help accelerate returns.

Governments may offer incentives such as capital subsidies, tax exemptions, reduced utility tariffs, export benefits, or interest subsidies to promote manufacturing under various national or regional industrial policies.

Financing can be arranged through term loans, government-backed schemes, private equity, venture capital, equipment leasing, or strategic partnerships. Financial viability assessments help identify optimal funding routes.