Private Label Makhana: Complete Guide for Food Brands (2026)

What Is Private Label Makhana?

Private label makhana means a manufacturer produces and packs makhana under your brand's name, logo, and packaging design. You own the brand; we handle sourcing, roasting, flavouring, coating, and packing. The finished product goes out looking and tasting exactly as you specified — at a fraction of the cost of building your own manufacturing facility.

Why Private Label Makhana Is Growing

The Indian better-snacking category grew significantly post-2020 as consumers shifted from fried snacks to healthier alternatives. Makhana — high protein, gluten-free, light — sits squarely in this trend. D2C brands, regional distributors, and even FMCG brands are adding makhana SKUs under their own labels rather than investing in their own processing lines.

The Private Label Process at Grain Routes

1. Brief and Specification

Tell us: the flavour profile you want (we have 34 to choose from, or we can develop a custom flavour), the grade (5 suta is standard; 4+ suta for premium), the pack sizes (e.g. 50 g, 100 g, 200 g, 500 g), and your target launch quantity.

2. Sample and Approval

We produce a 500 g sample batch to your specification. You approve the flavour, texture, and coating before we move to production. Turnaround for sample batches is 5–7 working days.

3. Packaging Design

You provide print-ready artwork. We print on pouches (stand-up, flat-back, or custom shapes) with your label. If you don't have a designer, we can connect you with packaging designers we work with regularly.

4. Production Run

Minimum first production run is 50 kg (typically 500–1,000 units at 100 g pack size). We batch-roast, flavour, coat, cool, and pack in a continuous flow. Most first production runs complete within 10–14 days of artwork approval.

5. Quality Check and Dispatch

Each batch is checked for moisture, weight, seal integrity, and flavour consistency before dispatch. We provide a batch quality report and shelf-life certificate with every order. Dispatch is pan-India by surface or air freight depending on volume and urgency.

What Does Private Label Cost?

The cost per kg for private label makhana includes raw material (grade-dependent), processing, flavouring, coating, and packaging. For standard flavours (himalayan salt, classic salted, peri peri), pricing at 50 kg is broadly in line with our rate card. Custom flavour development carries a one-time R&D fee of ₹3,000–₹8,000 depending on complexity. Custom packaging (non-standard pouch shapes, premium foil laminates) carries a minimum print run charge typically from ₹15,000.

Download our rate card for detailed SKU-level pricing.

FSSAI Labelling for Private Label

Your private label pack must carry:

• Product name and description
• Ingredients list (we supply this)
• Nutritional information per 100 g (we supply this)
• Manufacturer details (Grain Routes / K K Traders name and address as manufacturer)
• Your brand name as "Marketed by" or "Brand owner"
• FSSAI licence number — yours or ours (depending on your brand's status)
• Best before date and batch number (applied during packing)
• Net weight, MRP, and country of origin

Do You Need Your Own FSSAI Licence?

For pure private label where you are the brand owner and Grain Routes is the manufacturer, you can operate under our FSSAI licence as "Marketed by [Your Brand]". However, if you are selling above ₹12 lakh annually under your brand, you should obtain your own FSSAI registration (State licence or Central licence depending on turnover and scale). We can guide you through this process.

Getting Started

The fastest way to start is to request a sample of the flavours you are considering, then submit a brief via our private label inquiry form. Most new private label partnerships go from first inquiry to first delivered order in 4–6 weeks.