Bevive Retail Pvt. Ltd. — Bevibes makhana export logoBevibes

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    Makhana export, answered directly

    Every core question we get from importers, distributors and brand owners — one page, no forms, no fluff. If your question is not here, the themed FAQ sections linked below go deeper.

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    Complete answers, quotable as-is. These are the same numbers our export desk quotes — moisture, MOQs, lead times and transit windows all come from one specification.

    Who is Bevibes?

    Bevibes is the export brand of Bevive Retail Pvt. Ltd., an Indian company that supplies makhana (fox nuts) to importers, distributors, supermarket chains, snack manufacturers and private label brands around the world. We buy raw makhana directly from farming clusters in the Mithila belt of Bihar, process and grade it at our manufacturing plant in Darbhanga and contracted partner units, and ship it under our own quality and documentation protocol. Bevibes is the brand name buyers see on the packaging; Bevive Retail Pvt. Ltd. is the legal entity that signs the contract and appears on the export documents.

    Why choose Bevibes?

    Because we behave like a manufacturer, not a middleman. You get the same grade in every container because lots are bought against a written specification and checked before packing, not sorted after complaints. You get complete export paperwork — invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, lab report — prepared in-house rather than outsourced. And you get one point of contact who knows your market's labelling rules, so the shipment clears customs instead of sitting at the port.

    Why import makhana from India?

    India grows roughly 85-90% of the world's makhana, so there is no meaningful alternative origin at commercial scale. Buying from India means you are buying at source: better prices, larger volumes, full traceability back to the farming cluster, and access to organic and GI-tagged lots that simply do not exist elsewhere. India also has mature export infrastructure for food — APEDA registration, accredited labs, phytosanitary services and container ports at Nhava Sheva, Mundra and Kolkata — so the compliance side is routine rather than experimental.

    Why Mithila makhana specifically?

    Mithila, the region spanning Darbhanga, Madhubani, Purnia and Katihar in north Bihar, has the shallow warm ponds that fox nut cultivation needs, and generations of families who know how to temper and pop the seed by hand. Mithila Makhana holds a GI (Geographical Indication) tag, which is a legal origin protection much like Champagne or Darjeeling tea. In practical terms the region's seed pops larger, whiter and crisper, with fewer broken pieces and a cleaner taste — which is exactly what a retail pack or a snack line needs.

    How does the export process actually work?

    It is eight stages — inquiry, sampling, quotation, production, inspection, documentation, shipping, delivery — and takes four to six weeks from first email to vessel departure. You send us your requirement and we reply within 24-48 hours with a quotation and specification sheet. Reference samples reach you in 3–5 working days by courier. You confirm with a purchase order and advance or letter of credit, and the lot is processed, graded and packed at the contracted unit. Moisture, size and broken percentage are verified before stuffing, with third-party inspection on request. We then prepare the full document set in-house, book the container, complete customs, and share tracking with your clearing agent, couriering documents ahead of arrival.

    What is your minimum order quantity (MOQ)?

    For loose bulk makhana the practical minimum is 500 kg for air freight and one container load for sea freight — around 6–8 MT in a 20ft container and 14–16 MT in a 40ft high cube, since makhana is very light and cubes out before it weighs out. For private label retail packs the MOQ is 1,000–5,000 units per SKU depending on pack format, driven by the printed-film minimum rather than by us. First-time buyers can start with a smaller trial shipment while a relationship is being established.

    How do you pack makhana for export?

    Bulk shipments go into food-grade laminated or PP bags with an inner LDPE liner, usually 10 kg or 20 kg per bag, palletised and strapped. Because makhana absorbs moisture, we dry to 5–7% moisture and can add nitrogen flushing or vacuum packing when the transit is long or the destination is humid. Retail packs are made in metallised or transparent laminate pouches from 20 g to 500 g, with zip-lock, stand-up or pillow formats, printed to your artwork with your market's mandatory labelling already in place.

    How is it shipped, and to which ports?

    Most orders move by sea in FCL containers from Nhava Sheva, Mundra or Kolkata; urgent or sample volumes go by air from Delhi or Mumbai. We work on FOB, CFR, CIF and DDP terms, whichever suits your freight arrangement. Because makhana is low density, we plan the load by volume so you are not paying for half-empty containers, and we can consolidate multiple grades or SKUs into a single container.

    What are your lead times?

    Samples reach you in 3–5 working days by courier. A confirmed bulk order is ready to ship in 10–15 days; repeat private label orders take 20–30 days, and a first private label run ships 5–7 weeks from artwork sign-off because pouch printing and tooling are added. Sea transit then depends on the lane — roughly 6–14 days to the Gulf, 19–26 days to Europe, 20–26 days to the UK, 26–34 days to the US east coast, and 8–12 days to Southeast Asia. Air freight lands anywhere in three to seven days.

    Do you offer private label and OEM manufacturing?

    Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. You send us your brand artwork and we handle everything else: grade selection, roasting and seasoning to your flavour brief, pouch printing, nutrition panel and label compliance for your market, barcoding, cartoning and export. You own the brand entirely — we do not sell your artwork, recipe or pack design to anyone else, and we are happy to sign an NDA and an exclusivity agreement for your territory before development starts.

    What certifications and licences do you hold?

    Bevive Retail Pvt. Ltd. holds an Importer Exporter Code (IEC), an FSSAI licence, APEDA registration, GST registration and Startup India recognition. Processing runs at our Darbhanga plant and contracted partner units operating ISO 22000 / HACCP food safety systems, and organic lots are supplied against NPOP and NOP certification. For each shipment we provide a certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate and a third-party lab report covering moisture, aflatoxin, pesticide residue and microbiological limits. Buyer-appointed inspection agencies such as SGS or Bureau Veritas are welcome at any stage.

    Which countries do you export to?

    We ship to the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and Qatar, and we can supply any market where makhana is a permitted food import. Each destination has its own labelling and residue rules — FDA prior notice for the US, EU food contact and nutrition declaration rules for Europe, Halal expectations in the Gulf — and we prepare the documentation for that market rather than sending a generic pack.

    Deeper FAQs by topic

    HS codes, grading & documentation

    12 technical FAQs inside the complete buyer guide.

    Manufacturer or trader?

    What we are, what we are not, and how to verify any supplier.

    Quality & testing

    Certificates, lab panels and aflatoxin limits.

    Private label formats & MOQs

    Per-format MOQ table and development timeline.

    Destination compliance

    Labelling and clearance rules by market.

    Company & verification

    Registrations, structure and buyer diligence.

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