20 Small Manufacturing Business Ideas with Low Cost

20 Small Manufacturing Business Ideas with Low Cost


There are 1000’s of manufacturing business ideas. However, only a few can be started with low cost. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur and looking for the list of small manufacturing business ideas with low investment, this article is for you. While starting a manufacturing business requires raw material and other items, major investment goes into the equipment cost (basic or semi-automated or fully automated machines). Also, many of them would look for business ideas with low investment and high profits. In this article we would provide 20 small manufacturing business ideas with low cost and earn high profits. We would also detail, approximate cost of the equipment that is needed to start such businesses.

Also Read: Which are the small manufacturing business under 10 lakhs?

20 Small Manufacturing Business Ideas with Low Cost

Small-Manufacturing-Business-Ideas-with-Low-CostHere are some of the 20 small manufacturing business that can be started with low capital.

1)  Palm Oil Processing: The main raw material to start this manufacturing business is the palm fruits. Palm oil is important edible oil. It has commercial use and the same is also used in the pharmaceutical industry. Although palm oil processing is profitable and capital intensive, it has less competition, making it a good avenue to enter.

The palm oil machine cost starts from Rs 90,000 onwards.

Minimum capital required is Rs 2 Lakhs.

2) Manufacturing of paper bags: With plastic being banned in a phased manner in India, the paper industry is growing now. Manufacturing of paper bags is one of the best low cost business ideas. One can select on what size and volume they want to start the business which would help to decide the investment required.

Fully automated paper bag equipment would cost around Rs 3 Lakhs.

Ideal investment to start this business would be 3 to 5 Lakhs.

This is one of the good small manufacturing business ideas to start now.

3) French fry making: Whether it is kids or adults, everyone need something to munch for daily snacks. French Fries are tasty food which is liked by most of the members in the family. This is a brilliant small-scale manufacturing industry that requires the right machinery and sourcing of potatoes. If the quality is good, even big chains of fast food might get connected to you.

Capital required is Rs 2-3 Lakhs to start with. If you want to go for fully automated french fry machine, this would cost you approx. Rs 15-30 lakhs. You can check how fully automated works here.

If you are looking for best manufacturing business ideas to start with 15 Lakhs, you can take fully automated machine.

4) Ice cream manufacturing: Ice cream is a favorite for most of us that breaks in almost all seasons. Ice-cream manufacturing needs little space and good infrastructure to keep the product healthy and in a solid form.

Capital required is Rs 1-3 Lakhs. Ice cream machines would cost you as low as Rs 42,000, but goes up to Rs 10 Lakhs depending on the brand and the output which you expect (litre per hour).

5) Jam manufacturing: This again requires little expertise, capital and skills. Although a lot of creativity can be added to change the taste as well as the look of the bottle to make it all the more attractive. Organic and no preservative jams are still hot selling gifting items.

You can select a simple jam manufacturing machine that would cost you Rs 45,000 or go for a fully automated machine which costs up to Rs   10 Lakhs.

Capital required is Rs 3-5 Lakhs depending on the machine you may choose.

6) Bakery / Bread making: Bread is one of the most favorite breakfasts for most families. Bread along with the bakery items have very good demand. Manufacturing can be done with basic bread making machines or with semi-automated or fully automated machines.

Automatic bread making machine costs around Rs 3 Lakhs (500 kgs per day output).

Capital required is Rs 50,000 to 5 Lakhs depending on the machine chosen.

This is one of the best evergreen manufacturing business ideas in India.

7) Noodles / spaghetti making: Both instant and normal noodles can be prepared for processing depending on the need and the market. Make sure about the quality and food licenses when entering such markets.

The noodle manufacturing machine starts from Rs 40,000 onwards.

The minimum capital required is Rs 1 Lakh.

8) Honey processing: These days every one are becoming health conscious. People prefer products like organic honey. If you have good resources, you can start a honey processing business to earn decent money.

You would need to understand the honey products market, learn bee farming and the steps involved in honey processing before you start this business. While broad steps are procuring raw honey, processing and packaging them to sell, you would need equipment like heating/filtering/storage tanks, gravity Clarifiers, honey filters, extractors, bottling and sealing machines etc.

You might need manufacturing cost as low as Rs 50,000 to start with. If you wish to use honey processing machine, it would cost around Rs 1.1 Lakhs onwards. Just check this video about honey processing.

9) Organic soap making: While this manufacturing business needs a low cost, it need to be unique to sell them in the competitive market. As soap making is common business these days, unless such product is differentiated, it would not have a good market. So back up your business with a lot of market survey and creativity before you start this business.

You would need tools, stainless steel, tempered glass for mixing, styrene plastic or silicone spoons, molds, herbs, essential oils, natural colors. You can refer Organic Soap making guide here.

If you wish to use a soap making machine, it might cost you Rs 3 Lakhs onwards. Again, it would depend on the scale of business you wish to start.

You may need 3-5 lakhs to start this business. However, depending on the scale of the product you want to promote, the investment can increase.

10) Wafer making: Small in-house workshop to manufacture banana and potato wafers, which has a good taste sells even better than hotcakes. It is a brilliant way to start your part-time job.

Banana wafer machine cost starts from Rs 22,000 onwards.

The minimum capital required is Rs 50,000.

This is one of the good small manufacturing business ideas in India.

Also Read: 30+ Medium Scale Manufacturing Business Ideas with high profits

11) Oil processing: If you belong to an agricultural zone or can procure the raw materials needed for making oil, it is a good business, which is completely based on the machinery being used.

Even this oil machine cost starts from Rs 90,000 onwards.

Capital required is Rs 2 Lakhs.

This is one of the best evergreen manufacturing business ideas in India.

12) Jewelry making: Indian’s love gold and gold jewelry. Artificial jewelry trading is an upcoming business and is gaining popularity with increasing prices of precious metals like gold, silver, and diamonds. This is one of the top manufacturing business ideas with low cost.

The gold casting machine cost starts from Rs 20,000 onwards.

Capital required is Rs 50,000.

13) Ice cream cone making: This is another interesting manufacturing business to start. Ice creams are sold around the year and so are the cones.

Ice cream cone making machine cost starts from Rs 90,000 onwards.

Capital required to start this business is Rs 2 Lakhs.

14) Flour production: This manufacturing business can be started with low cost of Rs 4-5 lakhs. You can start with the initial level of flour production that would include grinding wheat and other grains. Depending on the success of the business you can expand it to medium to large scale.

15) Pickle Making: Indian’s love food. Such food is incomplete without a pickle. One can explore and create traditional and healthy pickles to create their own brand and grow big in the Indian market.

One would need low cost of Rs 50,000 to start this business.

This is one of the most profitable manufacturing business ideas to start.

16) Incense sticks making: If you are looking for small manufacturing business from home, this business is ideal for you. This manufacturing business requires a small space, limited capital, but enormous opportunities to grow. These days a lot of incense sticks (Agarbattis) are being exported around the globe due to increase in the demand.

You may start this manufacturing business with a low cost at Rs 50,000 onwards.

17) Cotton bud making: This is a small business that requires low capital, but labor-intensive unit. It is a simple business, but a moving product. While there are a lot of competitors, use and throw of such products would continue to have a good demand.

Capital required is Rs 50,000 onwards.

18) Cashew processing: Cashew nuts grow an abundance in India. There is very good demand for cashew nuts across many countries. Cashew nut processing includes removing the cover as well as making it more saleable by making it salted or adding different spices. This is one of the best small manufacturing business ideas with low cost as there is good demand for processing cashew in India and across the world.

Capital required is Rs 2-3 Lakhs to start with.

This is one of the top small manufacturing business ideas to start with low cost.

Also Read: 10 Profit making small business ideas with low investment

19) Furniture Making: Furniture making is one of the most profitable small manufacturing business to start in India. If you have the right skills and some space and capital, you can start your own furniture manufacturing. You can get associated with the interior designers in town as well as sell them online.

Capital required is Rs 5 Lakhs to start with. If you wish to start this on medium to large scale, you might need large investment.

20) Candy / chocolate making: This is one of the good manufacturing business to start with low cost for those who have limited time and resources. Chocolate making requires basic recipes, good taste and quality ingredients have a strong base. If the same is accompanied with beautiful packaging it works well as gifts for weddings, birthdays, formal meetings etc.

Capital required is Rs 1-2 Lakhs.

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Suresh KP

16 comments

  1. I am 20 years of experience in
    fmcg marketing field
    I want to own business with initial investment of minimum 5 lakhs,
    Give some ideas which can be started slowing.
    My dream is to be a big business man and help for society.
    Brand of ASHOKA
    GIVE ME GOOD SUGGESTIONS

  2. Hi Mr, I’m a Tanzanian.
    I want to start a small manufacturing business. My ideas is to manufacture a small electrical atisosarilies like pvc square box, rectangular boxes, round box, tee joint box, conduit pipe etc. Like this. May you help me to get a small machine for making this component?

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