Honey is one of the oldest sweeteners on earth and very fondly termed as “the nectar of the gods” because of its rich contribution to humankind since ancient times not only as a nutritional product but also in health as traditional medicine. People stir honey into tea, enjoy it on toast and use it to create tasty baked goods. The threat of COVID-19 infection has made people realise the true potentials of natural honey because of its anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Drinking a glass of water with honey and lime has become the practice for millions of households. With more and more people becoming health conscious, honey seems to have replaced sugar in most Indian households, restaurants and cafes. The “World Bee Day” is celebrated every year on May 20^th to raise awareness about the significance of Honey Bees. 

Based on the area under cultivation in India and bee forage crops, India has a potential of about 200 million bee colonies as against 3.4 million bee colonies today. Considering the potentiality of honey and honey products, the Govt. of India has allocated 500 Crores towards Beekeeping under Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan for National Beekeeping & Honey Mission (NBHM) for three years (2020-21 to 2022-23) to enhance engagement of farmers in the sector of honey and wax production. The entire focus of the central government is now on local manufacturing local products and small industries though the government has been encouraging honey production on a large scale to increase employment in rural areas. But despite several initiatives by the governments, the beekeeping industry in India could not flourish to its maximum. An evaluative study conducted by researchers observed that marketing is one of the major problems in beekeeping as stated by 65 percent of the beekeepers. Non fixation of minimum support prices for beekeeping products, variant prices and unorganized market were other troublesome factors in marketing of bee products. Moreover, some market survey reports reveal that people at times avoid consuming honey simply because it is messy to consume and not convenient. 

Honey is a viscous substance that sells depending on its looks, packaging and the information provided on the label. This is usually all the information that the consumer needs in deciding whether to buy the product or not. So alluring, informative and effective labelling is significant for attracting consumers. In this regard, customised packaging is gaining popularity across the world for the past few years. Honey packaging is an example of customised packaging in which key manufacturers are continuously enhancing the packaging design. Increased competition and growth in the demand for sophisticated packaging are among factors encouraging players to innovate new honey packaging solutions like introducing honey in individual packaging. Individual packs with printed label, such as sachets or single-use packs are universally convenient and are becoming increasingly popular for virtually any application. The reason that the format has proven such a winner is that individual packs enhances convenience, reduces waste and can prolong the shelf life of sensitive products as the pack headspace is reduced in use. Whenever the consumer opens the packaging, the product will still be fresh and maintained. Thus the easy-squeeze pack provides favourable experience for consumers when dispensing honey. Then, since organic raw natural honey is quite expensive, purchasing a large size container of honey can be avoided as it’s a one single-use pack which makes it very convenient. These individual single-use packs are perfect for when one is travelling, camping, hiking, biking or enjoying a picnic with friends and family. Honey is a sticky sweet treat, so having it mess-free makes life easier. 

Natural organic honey market is expected to reach USD 911.30 million by 2027 growing at a growth rate of 10.50%. Increasing demand for healthy products among consumers and reducing demand for chemical products are the factors for the organic honey market during the forecast period of 2021- 2027. In view of the above, there are tremendous market potentialities in setting up of such low-investment Honey Sachet Packaging unit anywhere in India since Honey is a highly consumable item used for nutritional, medicinal and industrial purposes. Interested promoters may initiate networking with the Bee-keepers/Farmers of the local area and tie-up with them for supply of pure natural honey continuously on regular basis.

A Project Report is not only essential for obtaining financial assistance from Bank/ Financial Institution/Funding Agency but also the most important document either to participate in the development schemes of MSME Sector/ Department of Industries or in completing various time consuming government formalities connected with planning and commercial operation of the proposed business project.

The proposed project is that of setting up of a Honey Sachet Packaging Business unit to enable uninterrupted supply of Honey Sachets to market throughout the year. This Detail Project Report (DPR)/ Business Plan has been developed in a well-structured PDF Format (Easy to Download, Convert into MS WORD through www.pdftoword.com, Edit for Personalised Customisation and Finally Printing the Report) to be presented as a Ready Project Proposal immediately thereby saving precious time of the promoter in the process of completing requisite formalities in anticipation of setting up the business project.

Accordingly, following Project Templates has been deliberately left blank in order to facilitate customisation by the perspective entrepreneurs based on personal requirements and furnish necessary information on actual basis.

§ Project at a Glance                                     :             To be Filled Up as per Personal Requirements.

[Total Capital Expenditure, Working Capital, Estimated Cost of the Project, Amount of Bank Loan, Amount of Equity Capital and Amount of applicable Margin Money Subsidy – (Urban/Rural /General Category/ Special Category)].

§ General Information and Location          :             To be Furnished in the Blank Space.

[Name of the Unit/Firm, Address of the Proposed Project Location, Size of the Space Available and Occupancy under Ownership/Lease Agreement].

§ Promoter’s Background                            :             To be Furnished in the Blank Space.

[Name of the Promoter, Age, Communication Address, Educational Qualification, Work Experience and Special Training Attended, if Any].

 The Project Report/ Business Plan so presented include all the important aspects containing the following details;

CONTENTS

1.    Project at a Glance

2.    Highlights of the Project

3.    Project Introduction

4.    The Project Proposal

5.    The Products and its Uses

6.    Prospect for Investment

7.    Potential Target Customers/Market

8.    Market Entry Strategy

9.    Process Details and Technical Aspect

10. Installed and Operational Capacity

11. Quality Control and Standards

12. Raw Materials and Consumables

13. Power and Utility

14. Tentative Implementation Schedule

15. Basis & Presumptions

16. Capital Investment Estimates with Detail Project Economics

17. Computation of Working Capital Requirement

18. Estimated Total Project Investment

19. Proposed Means of Project Financing

20. Estimated Annual Sales Turnover

21. Projected Profitability Statement

22. Calculation of Interest Amount

23. Depreciation Schedule

24. Term Loan Repayment Schedule

25. Debt Service Coverage Ratio

26. Break-Even Analysis

27. Projected Cash Flow Statement

28. Projected Balance Sheet

29. Internal Rate Return

30. Pay Back Period

The presentation also supplements with important facts and useful information covering the areas as indicated below;

LIST OF ANNEXURES

1.   Basics of Food Processing Business

2.   Indian Food Processing Industry- Current Scenario and Recent Govt. Initiatives

3.   Statutory Permits and Business Licenses required for the Project

4.   Beginner’s Guide to Start the Project

5.   Smart Tips to Identify Suitable Project Location

6.   Critical Success Factors in Food Processing Business and

7.   Marketing Strategy and Promotional Ideas to Boost the Sale of the Business.

LIST OF ENCLOSURES

ENCLOSURE-1: E-BOOK ON PMFME SCHEME, MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, GOVT. OF INDIA.

ENCLOSURE-2: LATEST LIST OF “ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT” (ODOP) FOR 713 DISTRICTS OF 35 STATES/UNION TERRITORIES UNDER PMFME SCHEME, MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, GOVT. OF INDIA.

Thus the information provided would help in identifying in advance the infrastructure/resources required for the Project and approach the concerned government agencies accordingly. Hence, it becomes a complete document for further action towards realising the dream of becoming an entrepreneur.