What is a curcumin project report?
A curcumin project report is a detailed project report (DPR) for a plant that extracts the yellow colouring matter from dried turmeric with a food-grade solvent and purifies it into curcumin powder. It sets out the process, machinery, turmeric and solvent needs, market, project cost, means of finance, five-year projections, DSCR and break-even.
Promoters use it to size the plant and raise a term loan; banks use it to judge whether the unit can repay from its margins.
Also known as: curcumin extraction project report, project report on curcumin, curcumin business plan, DPR for curcumin plant, turmeric extract manufacturing report.
What a bank checks in a curcumin project report
A curcumin plant lives on the gap between what turmeric costs and what buyers pay for a tested, high-purity powder. Lenders look first at the numbers below, taken from our sample report.
Turmeric and solvent take half of every rupee of sales. A report that shows much less has usually assumed cheap turmeric or very high curcumin content.
Solvent makes up the rest. Turmeric prices move with each harvest, so the bank expects a test of what a price rise does to profit.
Turmeric is harvested once a year. Many plants buy more after the harvest, which raises the stock and the cash credit you need.
The debt service coverage ratio shows how many times cash profit covers loan payments. Lenders look at the weakest year, not just the 1.98 average.
Values are the assumptions in our illustrative sample. Your report uses figures for your capacity, turmeric source and buyers.
How much does a curcumin plant cost?
Cost rises with daily output and with how far you take the product. A small unit may stop at oleoresin or make curcumin in batches; larger plants run several extractors with full solvent recovery. The middle tier is the unit in our sample report.
Small batch unit
₹0.6–1.5 crore
About 5–20 kg of curcumin per day
- Extraction and recovery₹30–70 lakh
- Shed and fit-out (or rent)₹15–40 lakh
- Working capital margin₹8–20 lakh
MSME term loan; PMEGP only if the project stays within ₹50 lakh
Mid-size unit
₹300.98 lakh
74 kg per day, 22,200 kg per year
- Plant and machinery₹135.00 lakh
- Building and civil works₹71.62 lakh
- Working capital margin₹26.56 lakh
Term loan ₹225.74 lakh (75%), promoter ₹75.24 lakh
Large plant
₹7–15 crore
About 250–400 kg per day
- Plant and machinery₹3.5–8 crore
- Land and building₹1.5–3.5 crore
- Working capital margin₹0.6–1.5 crore
Term loan, CGTMSE cover up to ₹10 crore for eligible units
Small and large ranges are indicative and vary with solvent choice, automation and location. The sample also includes ₹27.38 lakh for land and site development.
Curcumin project cost and plant economics
The sample report models a 74 kg per day unit working 300 days a year, starting at 60% capacity and reaching 80% in Year 5. Curcumin is priced at ₹3,940 per kg, ex-GST, against a cost of ₹3,284.43 per kg.
| Land and site development | 27.38 |
|---|---|
| Building and civil works | 71.62 |
| Plant and machinery | 135.00 |
| Other fixed assets | 23.40 |
| Contingencies | 10.33 |
| Preliminary and pre-operative | 6.69 |
| Working capital margin | 26.56 |
| Total | 300.98 |
| Promoter's contribution (25%) | 75.24 |
|---|---|
| Term loan from bank (75%) | 225.74 |
| Cash credit limit (separate) | 79.66 |
| Total project cost | 300.98 |
Term loan at 10.5% with a 6-month moratorium and 54 monthly instalments. The unit employs 19 people. All figures are illustrative.
Curcumin manufacturing process from turmeric
Curcumin is made in two stages: solvent extraction to an oleoresin, then purification to a powder. Some plants first steam-distil the ground turmeric to recover turmeric oil, which sells separately.
- Grinding
Dried, cleaned turmeric fingers are ground to a coarse powder so the solvent can reach the colour without packing the bed too tightly.
- Solvent extraction
The powder is washed with a permitted solvent such as acetone or ethyl acetate in stainless steel extractors until the bed runs pale.
- Concentration
The solvent is distilled off under vacuum and condensed for reuse, leaving turmeric oleoresin with 25–35% colouring matter.
- Crystallisation
The oleoresin is washed with a selective solvent and cooled so curcuminoids crystallise out and resins stay in the liquid.
- Filtration and drying
Crystals are filtered and vacuum-dried at low temperature to drive off residual solvent without darkening the colour.
- Testing and packing
Each batch is tested for curcuminoid content, residual solvents and moisture, then packed in lined drums with a certificate of analysis.
Turmeric and solvent: raw materials for curcumin
Turmeric holds only 3–5% colouring matter, so its curcumin content decides your yield more than any machine. Lakadong turmeric from Meghalaya is reported at over 7%, so a plant near high-curcumin growing areas gets more colour from every tonne it buys. Solvent is mostly recovered; what you buy each year replaces losses in distillation and drying.
| Raw material | Share of cost | Year 3 (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Turmeric | 80% | 248.34 |
| Solvents | 20% | 62.09 |
| Total | 100% | 310.43 |
Colouring matter figures are from the FAO assessment of curcumin and ICAR's Indian Farming; costs are from our illustrative sample.
Machinery for a curcumin extraction unit
Extractors are the largest machinery item in the sample. Solvent recovery comes next, and it is the part that decides running cost and fire safety.
| Machine | What it does | Sample cost (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Grinder | Mills dried turmeric to a coarse powder | 13.50 |
| Extractors | Hold the turmeric bed while solvent washes out the colour | 47.25 |
| Solvent recovery | Distils, condenses and stores solvent for reuse | 27.00 |
| Crystalliser | Purifies oleoresin into curcumin crystals | 20.25 |
| Dryer | Vacuum-dries crystals and removes residual solvent | 13.50 |
| Laboratory | Tests curcuminoid content and solvent residues | 13.50 |
| Total plant and machinery | 135.00 | |
Costs are the sample report's estimates for a 74 kg per day unit. Get current quotations before you finalise.
Who buys curcumin and how a new unit competes
Curcumin is usually sold as 95% curcuminoid powder to formulators and exporters. Demand comes from supplement brands, food makers replacing synthetic yellow dyes, and herbal and cosmetic formulators. Food use is permitted as colour INS 100, with an acceptable daily intake of 0–3 mg per kg of body weight set by JECFA.
- Nutraceutical and dietary supplement makers
- Natural food colour blenders
- Dairy, confectionery, bakery and beverage processors
- Pharmaceutical and Ayurvedic formulators
- Cosmetic and personal care makers
- Exporters of plant extracts
Where a new unit wins: supplement buyers often choose suppliers on documents as much as on price. A plant that ships every batch with a consistent assay, a residual solvent report and traceable turmeric lots can win contracts from larger, older units.
Licences and standards for a curcumin plant
| Business registration | Udyam (MSME) registration and GST registration |
|---|---|
| Food safety | FSSAI licence when curcumin is sold as a food colour; colours are governed by the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011 |
| Product specification | JECFA specification for curcumin (INS 100), which sets the permitted extraction solvents and purity; export buyers usually ask for it on the certificate of analysis |
| Export registration | Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES) from the Spices Board for spice products, in addition to an IEC; confirm coverage for your product list |
| Pollution and fire | Consent to establish and operate from the State Pollution Control Board, and a fire NOC for solvent storage and handling |
| Factory licence | Under the Factories Act where worker and power thresholds apply; rules vary by state |
Requirements checked in October 2026. Confirm the licence tier and pollution category with your state authorities.
Mistakes that weaken a curcumin project report
- Assuming one curcumin content for all turmeric
Content swings between varieties and lots. A yield based on the best variety, without lot testing, overstates output in every year of the projection.
- Treating solvent as fully recovered
Some solvent is lost in every distillation and in the dryer. Leaving out make-up solvent understates cost and hides a fire and pollution issue.
- Pricing all output at the 95% grade
Batches that miss the assay sell at a discount or go back for reprocessing. The report should allow for off-grade output in the early years.
- Ignoring the harvest cycle in working capital
Buying turmeric after harvest ties up cash for months. A cash credit limit sized on even monthly buying runs short in the first season.
- Counting by-product income without buyers
Turmeric oil and spent turmeric can add revenue, but only with a named outlet. Lenders discount by-product sales that have no buyer behind them.
How NPCS helps you set up a curcumin plant
- Capacity and product mixDecide between oleoresin, 95% curcumin and by-products for your turmeric source and buyers.
- Process and machineryCompare solvent routes, extractor sizes and recovery systems, and collect quotations.
- Bank-ready project reportProjections, DSCR and seasonal working capital in the format your lender wants.
- Approvals and layoutPlant layout with solvent storage, utilities and the approvals list for your state.
NPCS's client list shows 12 assignments for curcumin and 36 across essential oils and extracts, for promoters, companies and institutions in India and abroad.
What's inside the curcumin sample report
- Introduction
- Uses and applications
- Market potential
- Manufacturing process
- Raw materials
- Plant and machinery
- Land, building and utilities
- Manpower
- Licences and approvals
- Project cost and means of finance
- Working capital
- Projected profitability
- Cash flow statement
- Projected balance sheet
- Depreciation
- Term loan repayment
- Debt service coverage
- Break-even analysis
- Financial ratios
- Key assumptions
- Conclusion
- Monthly loan repayment schedule
18 pages, five-year projections, illustrative figures.
Open sample reportFree sample or a report for your project?
| What you get | Free sample | NPCS report for your project |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and location | Typical unit | Your capacity, site and state |
| Figures | Illustrative | Built on current prices and quotations |
| Machinery suppliers and quotations | No | Yes |
| Market survey for your region | No | Yes |
| Bank or scheme format (PMEGP, term loan) | No | Yes |
| Use for a loan application | No | Yes |
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Curcumin project report: frequently asked questions
What is the curcumin manufacturing plant cost in India?
A small batch unit making 5–20 kg of curcumin a day needs roughly ₹60 lakh to ₹1.5 crore, and a 250–400 kg per day plant about ₹7–15 crore. Our sample report models a 74 kg per day unit at ₹300.98 lakh, including land, building and working capital margin. These are indicative figures; your report costs your own capacity and site.
How much curcumin can be extracted from turmeric?
Dried turmeric holds about 3–5% colouring matter, according to the FAO assessment of curcumin. The first solvent extract, the oleoresin, carries 25–35% colouring matter, and crystallisation lifts it to over 90%. So a plant needs tens of kilograms of turmeric for each kilogram of powder. Test every lot, because the content varies by variety and region.
Which solvent is used to extract curcumin from turmeric?
The JECFA specification for curcumin allows acetone, methanol, ethanol and isopropanol, and EU rules also list ethyl acetate, hexane and some others. Indian plants commonly choose acetone or ethyl acetate for extraction and an alcohol wash for purification. The choice drives recovery equipment, residual solvent tests, fire safety and which export markets will accept the product.
Is curcumin manufacturing profitable?
In our illustrative sample, a 74 kg per day unit earns a 25.4% return on investment with break-even at 37.7% of capacity in Year 3 and payback in about 3.3 years. Real profit depends on turmeric prices after each harvest, the curcumin content of the lots you buy, solvent recovery and whether you sell the by-products.
Can I get a PMEGP or Mudra loan for a curcumin unit?
Only a very small unit fits. PMEGP covers manufacturing projects up to ₹50 lakh, and Mudra goes up to ₹20 lakh under Tarun Plus for borrowers who repaid an earlier Tarun loan. Most curcumin plants cost more and take an MSME term loan, often with CGTMSE guarantee cover, which now goes up to ₹10 crore.
What is the difference between curcumin and turmeric oleoresin?
Turmeric oleoresin is the first solvent extract of turmeric, a thick paste with 25–35% colouring matter plus oils and resins. Curcumin is the purified powder crystallised from that oleoresin, with over 90% colouring matter. A curcumin plant makes oleoresin on the way, so some units sell part of it directly to food colour blenders.
Is the sample report free and can I use it for a loan?
The sample is free to view and download. It is an illustrative report that shows the format and depth of an NPCS report; its figures are representative and not based on a real project, so it should not be submitted to a bank. For a loan, NPCS prepares a report for your own capacity, location and loan scheme.
Sources and references
- Curcumin: chemical and technical assessment (61st JECFA)Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, checked Oct 2026
- JECFA evaluation: curcuminWorld Health Organization, checked Oct 2026
- Lakadong turmeric: package of practice for organic productionIndian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Farming, checked Oct 2026
- Frequently asked questions on exporter registrationSpices Board India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, checked Oct 2026
- Compendium of the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, checked Oct 2026
- Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)State Bank of India, checked Oct 2026
- Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana: Tarun Plus categoryPress Information Bureau, Government of India, checked Oct 2026
- Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small EnterprisesCGTMSE, checked Oct 2026
The NPCS project team, led by Ajay Kumar Gupta
This page and its sample report are prepared and reviewed by the NPCS project team, which has written techno-economic feasibility studies and detailed project reports since 1994.
Ajay Kumar Gupta founded Niir Project Consultancy Services (NPCS) and leads the organisation. With 40 years of experience in MSME project consulting, he has built the team that has delivered more than 28,000 project reports for clients worldwide, helping entrepreneurs plan and finance profitable manufacturing businesses.
- Published
- Last updated
- Next review
- Oct 2027
- Reviewed by
- NPCS project team
This page is reviewed every 12 months, or sooner when scheme limits, GST rates, BIS rules or pollution categories change. The sample report is illustrative: its figures are generated from industry-typical ratios for a unit of this size, checked so every statement balances, and are not taken from any client project.