Profile: Vegetable oils are obtained from oil seeds, tree crop or seed from the seed of annually grower crops. They include most of the fatty acids esters of glycerol, commonly called triglycerides which provide the world with its supplies of edible oils and fats. The fats and oils are respectively solid and liquid at ambient temperature. The term Vegetable Oils and Edible Oils are synonymous in the Indian context because in this country fats of animal origin such as fish oil and lard are not used as cooking media’s nevertheless, Edible oils are a major source of nutrition. The fatty acids in edible oils are required by the body as a vehicle for carrying vitamins, and they provide energy which is twice that of the cereals. The edible oils and fats such as olive, cottonseed, corn, groundnut, soyabean etc. have been found to be almost completely assimilated. As such vegetable oils may be classed as edible and non edible, important vegetable oils are castor, coconut, cottonseed, line seed, mustard, soyabeans, sunflower, ground nut and rice bran oil etc. Application: Edible oils have different applications dependent on their type: • Large quantities of vegetable oils are also used in industrial applications such as Soaps industry, Paints, varnishes and enamels industry and miscellaneous industries like lubricants, plastic, nylon, cosmetics, leather tanning, wool, pesticides, medical preparations etc. • Cottonseed oil is used primarily as such or in a hydrogenated form for edible purposes. • Cottonseed oil has many food applications. As a salad oil, it is used in mayonnaise, salad dressings, sauces, and marinades. As cooking oil, it is used for frying in both commercial and home cooking. • Sunflower oil is used as a lubricant, for lighting purposes and treatment of shoddy in woolen manufacture. • Sunflower oil is used as cooking and salad oil, for the manufacture of margarine, shortening and other edible products, in bakery goods, for packing sardines, and as a base for certain pharmaceuticals. • Groundnut oil is most commonly used when frying foods, particularly French fries and chicken. • Groundnut oil can also be used to make soap in a process called saponification. Indian Scenario: The demand for edible oils in India has shown a steady growth at a CAGR of 4.43% over the period from 2001 to 2011. The growth has been driven by improvement in per capita consumption, which in turn is attributable to rising income levels and living standards. In terms of volumes, palm oil, soyabean oil and mustard oil are the three largest consumed edible oils in India, with respective shares of 46%, 16% and 14% in total oil consumption in 2010. The Indian edible oil market is the world’s fourth-largest after the USA, China and Brazil. A growing population, increasing rate of consumption and increasing per capita income are accelerating the demand for edible oil in India. India is a leading player in edible oils, being the world’s largest importer and the world’s third largest consumer. Each year, India consumes over 10 million tons of edible oils. Edible oils have a high penetration of 90% in India. Since the applications and demand of refined oil is immense therefore the potential of the product is excellent. It is one of the imperative fields to endeavour. Cost Estimation: Refined oil Capacity: 30000MT/Annum, Refined oil, of which 10000 MT/Annum, Cotton seed oil, 10000 MT/ Annum, groundnut oil 10000 MT/Annum, sunflower oil Plant and Machinery: 922 Lakhs Cost of project: 2185 Lakhs Rate of return: 46% BEP: 57% Oil Seed Extraction Capacity: 3060 MT Oils/Annum 5350 cakes/Annum or 9000 MT oil seed extraction/Annum Plant and Machinery: 67 Lakhs Cost of project: 214 Lakhs Rate of return: 28% BEP: 70%