Microgreens are one of the simplest ways to begin growing food for sale. You do not need a farm, a polyhouse or large capital. A shelf in a spare room or balcony, a few trays, good seed and a clear idea of who will buy them can be enough to start. This article walks through what you need, what it costs, and the practical things that decide whether a home microgreens business works.
All cost and price figures here are general industry ranges seen in India. They vary by city and supplier, so verify them locally.
What are microgreens?
Microgreens are young seedlings of vegetables, herbs and grains, harvested usually 7 to 14 days after sowing, when the first true leaves are just forming. They are eaten fresh, mostly as garnish, in salads, sandwiches and bowls. Because the crop cycle is short, you can sow and harvest every week and get fast feedback on what works.
Which crops should beginners start with?
Pick easy, forgiving crops first:
- Radish: fast (about 6–8 days), reliable, spicy colour and flavour, popular with restaurants.
- Sunflower: a thick, nutty crop with good weight per tray. It needs soaked seed and a bit more care with mould.
- Pea shoots: sweet and popular, a little slower, and seed is bulky.
- Mustard and broccoli: quick, flavourful, good for mixes.
- Methi (fenugreek): familiar to Indian buyers and easy to grow.
- Beetroot and amaranth: slower, but give striking colours for mixed boxes.
Start with two or three crops. Learn their timings before you add more.
What do you need to set up?
A basic home setup uses:
- Trays: shallow food-safe trays, often with and without drainage holes (a common choice is a 10 by 20 inch tray).
- Growing medium: cocopeat, jute or hemp mats, or a thin soil layer. Cocopeat is the most common starting point.
- Seeds: buy seed meant for sprouting or microgreens, ideally untreated, from a trusted supplier.
- Rack and light: a metal or plastic shelf. Near a bright window or balcony works for some crops, but LED grow lights give you consistent results and let you grow indoors all year.
- Water: a small spray bottle or fine rose can for watering. Clean water matters because the crop is eaten raw.
- Packaging: clamshell boxes or compostable packs, labels and a small scale.
Typical setup cost
For a small start of 20 to 40 trays, general ranges look like this:
| Item | Indicative range (₹) |
|---|---|
| Trays and lids | 2,000 – 8,000 |
| Rack or shelving | 2,000 – 8,000 |
| LED grow lights and timer | 3,000 – 15,000 |
| Cocopeat, mats and starter seed | 1,500 – 5,000 |
| Spray bottles, scale, tools, cleaning supplies | 1,000 – 3,000 |
| Packaging and labels (first stock) | 1,000 – 3,000 |
| Indicative total | about 10,000 – 40,000 |
You can start smaller. Many people begin with five or ten trays near a window to learn the crop before investing in lights.
A simple weekly routine
A small unit runs best on a fixed rhythm:
- Soak and sow: soak larger seed such as sunflower and pea for several hours, then spread seed evenly on moist medium.
- Blackout: stack trays and cover them for the first two to four days so seeds germinate evenly.
- Light: move trays to light once they start to lift. Water gently from below or with a fine mist.
- Harvest: cut just above the medium when leaves have opened, usually between day 7 and day 14 depending on the crop.
- Pack and sell: pack the same day for best freshness. Clean trays thoroughly and reuse or compost the medium.
Stagger your sowing across the week, so something is ready to harvest every day or two.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Mould: the most common problem. It usually comes from too much humidity, overcrowded seed or poor airflow. Sow thinner, add a small fan, and water carefully.
- Uneven germination: often due to uneven pressing of seed or inconsistent moisture. Keep sowing density and watering consistent.
- Damping off: seedlings collapse at the base. Clean trays, fresh medium and good airflow help.
- Weak, tall, pale growth: not enough light. Bring trays closer to a light or increase the hours.
- Over-watering: more crops are lost to too much water than too little.
Keep a simple notebook of sowing date, crop, seed amount and result. After a month you will have your own best settings.
Who will buy?
Do this before you scale. Common first buyers are:
- Neighbours and housing society groups: weekly boxes by WhatsApp work well.
- Cafés, cloud kitchens and small restaurants: they value consistency and delivery on a fixed day.
- Health-focused shops, gyms and dieticians: they like pre-packed boxes with clear labels.
- Online and subscription boxes: useful once you can supply reliably.
Offer free samples to three to five nearby outlets. Ask what they would pay and what pack size they want. Their answers will tell you more than any spreadsheet.
How to price
Prices vary a lot by city and by crop. As a general range, packs of 50 to 100 g commonly sell for somewhere between ₹50 and ₹150, with premium crops and metro cities at the higher end. Your price should cover seed, medium, packaging, delivery, electricity and your time, plus losses. Weigh a few harvests and calculate your real cost per pack before you quote anyone.
Rules and paperwork
If you sell food, check whether FSSAI registration applies to your scale and how you sell. Ask your local authority or a professional, because the rules depend on turnover and the type of business. Keep your growing area clean, label packs with the date, and keep simple records. If you sell through a platform or shop, expect to give up a commission or margin.
Mistakes beginners make
- Scaling to 100 trays before proving 20
- Growing many crops at once and doing none of them well
- Selling without a fixed delivery schedule
- Pricing only on seed cost and forgetting packaging and time
- Ignoring hygiene because the crop looks small
The bottom line
A home microgreens business is a low-cost way to learn how to grow and sell fresh food. Start small with two or three crops, learn your timings, find a handful of regular buyers and price for your real costs. A Microgreens guide for India is coming soon, and the newsletter is the best place to hear about it first.
This article is general information, not financial or legal advice. Costs, prices and rules vary by place. See the Disclaimer.