Branded raisin grading and packing unit

Vijayapura sits in a major grape, raisin and pomegranate belt (its horticulture atom), but much fruit moves raw or as bulk un-graded raisin — the branded-raisin gap — so growers absorb price crashes at harvest and the retail margin is captured downstream. This unit runs controlled drying, cleaning, sorting and grading of grapes into graded retail raisin SKUs under a traceable single-region brand, sold to modern trade, D2C dry-fruit brands and bulk institutional buyers; pomegranate aril and juice packs are a clean year-two extension targeting the aril-and-juice gap from the same line. The work is food-safety and consistency: FSSAI compliance, grade-consistent sorting, moisture and residue control, packaging that holds shelf life, and cold-chain discipline for the perishable arils. Honest constraints are harvest seasonality, the working capital to procure and hold stock, and brand-building against an entrenched bulk trade. Start with raisins (storable, steady demand) before adding the more perishable pomegranate line. Buyers are modern-trade and quick-commerce grocery, dry-fruit and snack brands, and bulk food-service distributors.