Starting a business, they say, is not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. But aspiring founders often find themselves struggling – with investments and ideas – before they join the hustle.
You may have a bunch of ideas in your mind, but there are times when those ideas lack proper direction and you decide to switch plans. This is the period where most aspiring founders struggle to find a balance.
Starting a business needs utmost determination and confidence, but you have to be very clear about your business idea before you step into the entrepreneurial arena.
To make the hustle easier, SMBStory has drawn up a list of 20 profitable manufacturing business ideas that you can start with low investment.
Handmade candles
Candles are always in demand, which is what makes this an extremely popular business option. The traditional demand for candles comes from religious and decoration purposes. During festivals, the demand is extremely high. Otherwise too, these days the demand for scented and therapeutic candles is also on the rise with many restaurants, households, and hotels using them to create an ambience.
The candle-making business can be initiated from home with low investment of approximately Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000.
The raw materials used to start the business include wax, wick, moulds, thread, aroma oils, and more.
Apart from the major raw materials, you also need to have some candle-making equipment. This includes a melting pot, thermometer, pour pot, weighing scale, hammer, and an oven (to melt wax).
Pickles
Pickles are a traditional food item in India and are extremely popular. You will find at least one variant of pickle in every Indian household. Thus, if you want to start small, a pickle business is a safe and easy option.
Apart from the Indian market, Indian pickles are greatly in demand abroad.
You can start this business at your home with a small capital of approximately Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000.
Incense sticks (agarbatti)
India’s agarbatti (incense sticks) market is growing due to large demand in the country and abroad.
Agarbattis are used in most Indian households, and their popularity and demand picks up during the festive season. Their exports have also grown, on the back of the rising popularity of meditation in other countries and the associated use of agarbattis.
The first step of small-scale manufacturing of agarbattis involves buying bamboo sticks and essential oils with fragrances such as sandalwood, jasmine, rose, champa, etc. from the market. The sticks are coated with the oils, and dried.
Automatic and semi-automatic agarbatti-making machines, costing upwards of Rs 50,000, can be used for bulk production.
Once the sticks are packed and labelled, they are ready to be sold in local markets.
Buttons
Buttons are one of the most essential trimmings used in the garment industry and have huge market potential.
From plastic to fabric and steel buttons, there are various categories in this niche that you can select depending upon your choice of business.
You can either rent out a space or start at home with a basic investment of approximately Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000.
Designer lace
Lace is commonly used in garments and for craft work. It is a traditional form of business and can easily be started at home.
With emerging fashion trends, the demand for different kinds of laces has increased. Laces are also exported to various countries, which makes this a good option for those who want to start small.
Laces can be designed manually, through bobby machines, or fully computerised machines – after you decide on the scale of operations.
You can start this business with a low investment of approximately Rs 25,000-Rs 50,000.
Shoe laces
India is the second-largest producer of footwear after China. The shoes the country manufactures can be segregated into categories like sports, formal, casual, and others.
The demand for shoelaces is high as well, and manufacturing shoelaces has become a lucrative small business idea.
Shoelaces are manufactured by weaving a band and fastening the aglet (the hardened end of the lace). The simple, woven band is usually made from cotton, polyester, nylon, polypropylene, etc, and the aglet is made of plastic.
Apart from the material for the lace and aglet, shoe lace braiding machines are also required. They can weave several metres of lace per minute, after which acetone can be used to fasten the aglet to the woven band.
You can start this business with a small investment of approximately Rs 25,000 depending upon the kind of machinery you want to deploy.
Ice cream cones
Everyone screams for ice cream, one of the most popular desserts today. The increasing consumption of ice cream has led to a rise in the demand for ice cream cones.
Therefore, if you want to start small, this idea could be a profitable business option. You can start an ice cream cone manufacturing unit in a small space by investing approximately Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh.
However, if you want to operate on a larger scale with high capacity machinery, the investment cost goes a little higher.
Handmade chocolates
When it comes to chocolate consumption, India is on top of the chart. Be it sweet or bitter, chocolate is a mood lifter and stress buster. According to Mintel, sales of chocolate confectionery in retail markets grew by 13 percent between 2015 and 2016 in India. Therefore, if you want to start your business and don’t have an idea, manufacturing chocolate can be a lucrative opportunity.
You need to develop a product line to start off. An approximate capital of Rs 40,000-Rs 50,000 will be required to purchase raw materials and packaging.
However, if you want to deploy a piece of machinery for a larger production scale, the cost may rise up to Rs 2 lakh-Rs 3 lakh. Your volume production will be easier with mixing, cooking, and cooling equipment. Select the type of equipment to fit the scale of your operation.