<p>Spices are generally dried under the sun which is highly time consuming and laborious. Secondary and tertiary processed products from spices are highly influenced by the method of drying. Therefore, commercial model of infrared convective (IRC) dryer was designed for retention of bioactive compounds in the dried samples. Drying experiments were conducted under infrared power and hot air temperature of 746 W and 55 ± 1.24&#xa0;°C, respectively. Moisture content of turmeric slices decreased from 76.5 ± 0.51% w. b. to 7.2 ± 0.84% w. b. within 6&#xa0;h under infrared convective (IRC) drying. Drying time for mace under infrared convective drying was 7&#xa0;h to decrease the moisture content from 55.62 ± 0.71 to 8.3 ± 0.21%. The drying rate of turmeric and mace under IRC was 3.47 and 2.52 gwater/gdm.h, respectively. Effective moisture diffusivity during IRC drying of turmeric slices and mace were 3.16 × 10⁻⁷m²/s and 1.95 × 10⁻⁷m²/s, respectively. Essential oil and oleoresin contents of turmeric slices under infrared convective drying were determined to be 6.8% and 13.98%, respectively. Infrared convective drying of mace obtained the values of essential oil and oleoresin contents as 7.1% and 12.8%, respectively. Economic analysis of the IRC dryer estimated benefit–cost ratio and payback period of 1.55 and 2.53&#xa0;years for turmeric slices, respectively. Drying of mace under IRC dryer obtained BC ratio and payback period of 2.10 and 0.21&#xa0;years, respectively. The study prospects sustainability and feasibility of drying spices under the developed system.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>