List of Best Manufacturing Business Ideas For an Easy Start

Interested in manufacturing business but lack ideas? Don’t worry you have landed on the right page. We are the experts serving MSME businesses for several decades. Having all the knowledge and experience required to assist you start a new manufacturing business from scratch. 

First of all, there are hundreds of business ideas for establishing a small business firm or a nationwide serving enterprise. Second, not every idea is feasible and serves the interest of every entrepreneur. Third, that’s why we have constructed a list of 15 best manufacturing business ideas you can start with low-investment, after brainstorming with top-level business consultants and researchers. 

List of 15 Best Manufacturing Business Ideas to Start With Low Investment 

Textile Producer

How about a textile manufacturing business idea? It can be started with a low income of up to ₹15 lakh and more, opening the door to multiple earning opportunities in the clothing business. You will be producing textile raw materials for big brands to make a premium range of clothes like wool, cotton, silk, and so on. Moreover, these materials are also a source for making other products like rugs, carpets, indoor mats, etc. 

Moreover, you can expand your textile business from producing raw materials to garment products, which will include stitching, handloom, and printing. Furthermore, you can also start reselling clothes and accessories, either offline to wholesalers or online on different e-commerce platforms. 

Food & Beverage Manufacturing 

If you have the knowledge of food industry than it is one of the best manufacturing business ideas to produce food and beverage products. The food & beverage industry is one of the excellently performing business sectors, which gives earning opportunities to everyone from farmers to producers, wholesalers, and retailers. These companies offer employment to millions of people worldwide contributing an extensive amount to the economy every year. 

Some of the best food and beverage manufacturing ideas are: 

• Ready-to-eat meals
• Baked goods
• Snacks and namkeen
• Chocolates
• Meat processing
• Brewery 
• Mineral water processing plant
• Packaged drinking water 
• Fruit juices 
• Pet foods
• And more
• Ayurvedic drinks 

Candle Making 

Making container and jar candles with fragrances is one of the best small scale manufacturing business ideas. Nowadays, people are aiming to make their surroundings more aesthetic and therapeutic. You can take advantage of this demand to manufacture and sell a wide variety of beautifully designed candles in different types of decorated jars and containers. You can start a candle-making business with approx Rs 3 lakhs and start marketing it to local vendors or gift shops. The most beneficial thing about candle-making business ideas is that you can initially do it with your job as a part-timer. If everything goes well so that you have started making a profit, then you can expand its domain later.  

The initial response must be good! With these steps, you can make sure this business idea blooms: 

• Source a high-quality wax. 
• Make sure to get wicks of the right size and thickness
• Ensure efficient melting of wax during the manufacturing process. 
• Get your fragrance oils from a trusted vendor that lasts long. 
• Carefully perform the molding process. 
• Let the products cool down properly. 
• Choose an attractive packaging container for your candles. 

Sports Equipment Manufacturer 

Establishing a sports equipment manufacturing company can be a great business idea in India to start at small scale with low capital. As per IBEF or India Brand Equity Foundation, India’s sports industry employs more than 500,000 people and is expected to reach a mark of $6.6 billion by 2027. 

You can start by researching the demand for the type of sport which is popular in your city and most commonly it is cricket. You can design yourself, manufacture with equipment, and start marketing to local vendors. Make sure you process a range of good quality equipment from bats, to balls and complete protective gear. Moreover, you can also target schools and sports academies nearest to you, to make a profitable deal. They commonly source the items in bulk and you can earn a decent amount serving them. 

Furniture Making 

If you can provide decent quality at reasonable prices, then furniture making is one of the successful manufacturing business ideas in India. It has been practiced for centuries! Furniture making is a diverse business that can be started with a few lakhs to crores, depending upon the operation and market size you’re targeting. Apart from being a producer, you can also be a reseller targeting offline vendors, and cracking deals on online platforms. 

Furthermore, even if you have zero experience in furniture making, you can always hire a professional to work for you. To be practical furniture making involves working with wood, glass, and many more materials to provide a nicely quality comforting masterpiece. 

Toy Making 

A small scale toy-making company can be started with a budget of Rs 10 to 15 lakhs. This manufacturing business idea only requires a little bit of creative and interactive mind to design toys that attract the minds of kids. It is a centuries-old business, which helped many to become millionaires. Also, the stats suggest that by 2028, the toy manufacturing industry in India is set to hit the mark of $3 billion. 

You can either set up an automatic process with various toy-making machines or hire skilled labor for handmade products. Even if you don’t have original ideas, you can always rely on the internet to find something trending among kids to manufacture and get orders by marketing to local vendors or selling on online e-commerce platforms. 

Plastic Manufacturer

Become a plastic manufacturer! It’s one of the profitable manufacturing business ideas in India to start with low investment. Why not produce daily used plastic products? Such as lunch boxes, pencil boxes, water bottles, disposable plates, storage racks, and many more.  

With a small investment in plastic products manufacturing equipment, you can start producing these plastic items in just a few days. You can also make your own brand that provides all sorts of plastic products for daily needs. The process is very simple once you get the hang of it, including melting plastic raw materials and injecting them into a molding machine to give a shape and then letting it cool down to solidify the product.

Pet Food and Accessories 

Producing and selling pet food and related accessories can be a great small scale manufacturing business ideas that requires low investment. For starters, you can produce nutritional foods for pets, leashes, toys, and various other items that are purchased frequently, to start a small scale business with Rs 5-10 lakhs.  

In recent years, the pet food and accessories-making industry has seen massive growth with everyone wanting a cheerful friend around. You can take advantage of this factor to start your own manufacturing business in India that solely produces pet products, whether it’s a dog, cat, or hamster.

Apparel and Footwear Manufacturing

Manufacturing and selling apparel and footwear products are always in demand. It’s one of the best manufacturing business ideas that can be started at small scale with investment amount ranging from Rs 10-15 lakhs. Producing a trending range of clothes and footwear items can open the door to numerous lucrative business opportunities. The only thing you will have to take care of is efficient business planning and execution. 

Ensure that you carefully study about the market demand and competition in the location where you want to start the business. Analyse all the risks and business opportunities that can knock on your door. Furthermore, you will require to meet the customer expectations which are ever changing in this industry, with every product being popular for a short term. 

Paper Manufacturer 

Even in this digital era, the essentialness of paper can’t be ignored. If you’re targeting a small scale manufacturing business idea then making paper products can be highly profitable with low investment. You can transform cellulose fiber that is recycled and 100% biodegradable. The business will demand a significant initial investment for sourcing pulpers, digesters, refiners, and papermaking machines, to start the manufacturing business. However, in the long run, it will turn into a profitable deal, with you turning every query into a sale and supplying demand. You will manufacture a diverse range of paper products that are always needed in every city. 

List of products you can manufacture being a papermaker: 

• Paper bags
• Notebooks 
• Packaging materials 
• Toilet paper rolls 
• Tissue paper rolls 
• And many more items. 

Cosmetics Manufacturing

Irrespective of the landscape, ethnicity, geography, religion, and age, everyone in this world cares about their looks. Demand for cosmetic products is always on the rise globally. Hence, it can be one of the best manufacturing business ideas which ensures sustainable growth. As per Google AI overview, the global cosmetics market is expected to reach the $864.6 billion mark by 2032 and USD 10.98 billion in India alone. 

You can target specific cosmetics products made using all-natural and organic ingredients as people are becoming more and more aware and do not want harmful chemicals to be used in their products. This will help you to establish an immense market presence. As for the budget, you can start your cosmetic manufacturing business with a budget ranging from Rs 7-25 lakhs. Make a small start and focus on meeting the demand with high-quality products. 

Types of cosmetics products you can produce and sell: 

• Foundations
• Lip glosses 
• Herbal hair oil 
• Skin moisturizers
• Blushes
• Eye shadows 
• And more. 

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing 

Yes, you heard right! You can become a pharma manufacturer with low investment ranging from Rs 2-3 lakh with further operations expanding to Rs 6-12 lakh. You can start with the Pharma PCD/Franchise model, which legally allows you to market and distribute the pharma products manufactured by other companies, significantly reducing the initial investment cost to start your business. Furthermore, there is also a pharma business model called third-party manufacturing, that allows you to connect with existing manufacturers for supplying their products to market. 

You must comply with the FDA, a government body that regulates all pharmaceutical companies, so that the sellers and consumers know your products are safe and effective. As for the success of this business idea, we don’t think you’re required to be remembered how profitable reputed companies are, in this business. 

Automotive Parts Manufacturer 

The automotive industry is huge, with every year sales records being broken by the companies. Where there is so much demand for the vehicles, there should be an equal need for maintenance and repairs. Thus, producing automotive parts of various types can be a profitable manufacturing business idea in India. However, you will require a range of expensive machinery to make and market these parts with high quality and accuracy. Depending upon the scale of your business, you will require capital ranging from Rs 5-40 lakh. 

Types of products or automotive parts you will manufacture: 

• Electrical systems
• Engine and its components
• Wheels
• Transmissions
• Chassis components 
• And various other parts 

Electronics manufacturing

If you have a knack for gadgets and electrical devices then establishing an electronics producer can be one of the best profitable manufacturing business ideas. This will mean you will develop and market various types of electrical parts and devices that are used in various industries such as telecommunication, computing, customer electronics, etc. Not only the electronics industry has strong market growth but the government also supports MSMEs to set up a manufacturing business. 

Things to consider before starting an electronics manufacturing business: 

• Conduct thorough market research about the demand in your business location and area. 
• Analyze your business competition and how much it can affect you. 
• Comply with government regulations and safety standards. 
• Choose a particular type of electronic product that you are interested in producing and marketing. 
• Learn all about the different manufacturing stages of that product. 
• Test the quality before marketing the product. 

Leather Goods Manufacturer

Producing and marketing leather goods is another one of the scalable manufacturing business ideas, which requires low investment in India.  There is wild demand for leather products in the global market with India being one of the major exporters. As per Google AI overview, India exported $4.87 billion worth of weather products in 2021-2022. 

Moreover, there are various reasons that the leather goods manufacturing business idea is highly feasible requiring a low investment budget. You can start small with low price raw materials and craft customized products. Target a specific leather product that is high in demand and produce the best quality possible with a design that connects with consumers. 

Here’s the list of high-demand leather products you can produce and sell: 

• Leather shoes 
• Belts
• Wallets 
• Hats 
• Gloves 
• Bags of various types 
• Home decor items 
• And more. 

How TradeIndia Can Help? 

Starting a new manufacturing business requires intense efforts like intense market research, competitive evaluation, identifying product demand, calculating risks, getting regulatory approvals, and more. However, one of the most essential things most people don’t take so seriously is to source premium quality raw materials to manufacture high quality products. Offering quality should be the main focus to get sustainable growth ahead. 

TradeIndia can help you transform your best manufacturing business ideas into reality. You can source the top grade raw materials, products, components and parts by directly contacting the top manufacturers, sellers, and exporters across India. TradeIndia is a largest B2B online marketplace that has millions of registered manufacturers and sellers across the nation from which you can get your new raw materials for manufacturing your own products. 

Major Benefits of Using Tradeindia.com for Sourcing Raw Materials: 

• They can offer several options with a large supplier network. 
• Thousands of products in several industrial categories include machinery, chemicals, leather, chemicals, pharma, food processing, etc. 
• Help you source the best quality raw materials at competitive prices. 
• Let's compare the services other manufacturers offer with an easy interface. 
• Help you sell your products with quality lead generations. 
• Offer both free and paid listing options for MSMEs to grow their business. 
• Most reliable customer support services. 

FAQs: Manufacturing Business Ideas 

Q. Does the government help to start a new manufacturing business? 

Ans. Yes, there are many government backed schemes in India like Startup India Initiatives, Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand Up India Scheme, Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, Atal Innovation Mission, and so on, that help manufacturing startups by offering financial support, incentives, subsidies and even training. 

Q. What are the small scale manufacturing business ideas? 

Ans. There are numerous small scale manufacturing business ideas that you can start with low investment, from food processing to cosmetics manufacturing, here’s the complete list you can choose from: 

• Textile Producer
• Food & Beverage Manufacturing 
• Candle Making 
• Sports Equipment Manufacturer 
• Furniture Making 
• Toy Making 
• Plastic Manufacturer
• Pet Food and Accessories 
• Apparel and Footwear Manufacturing
• Paper Manufacturer 
• Cosmetics Manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing 
• Automotive Parts Manufacturer 
• Electronics manufacturing
• Leather Goods Manufacturer

Q. How to choose the right manufacturing business idea for yourself? 

Ans. Consider choosing a business idea that has sustainable growth and about which you already have knowledge. If you were a part-timer in that particular business you chose then it's a bonus point. For a more detailed selection, you can choose a manufacturing business idea by considering these factors: 

• Market demand in preferred locations. 
• Your skills and knowledge in that particular field. 
• Your investment capacity or total budget to start a new business. 
• Available resources 
• And the level of scalability it has for long-term success. 

Q. What are the challenges in starting a new manufacturing business? 

Ans. Major challenges that you can face while starting or implementing a new manufacturing business idea is that you may have low initial investment, shortage of skilled labor, decrease in demand, unexpected expenses, unable to comply with quality standards, higher competition, lack of resources, and difficulty dealing with alpha players in the industry. 

Q. Can we start a manufacturing business from home? 

Ans. Yes, there are certain types of manufacturing businesses that you can start from home at small scale such as food processing, crafts, reselling items, packaging, social media services, tiffin services, virtual personal trainer and many more. Later you can expand and rent office space or manufacturing facilities as your business progresses. 

Q. Is a license required to start a manufacturing business?

Ans. Yes, for any manufacturing business, you will require a license to operate in India legally. This license serves as a legal permit from the government to produce and sell your goods. Moreover, there are certain safety and quality standards set by the government that you will have to comply with. 

Q. What will be the future of the manufacturing business? 

Ans. Future is uncertain! However, the manufacturing business can see the next level of automation, where even the micro factories can handle large scale operations with ease. Technologies like AI are more likely to upgrade the small to moderate level factories for advanced engineering. Apart from the conventional factories, even the micro ones will become capable of fluid operations and quick experimentations. Moreover, the manufacturing industry is likely to invest more in environmentally friendly technology and sustainability. 

Q. How much investment do you require to start a manufacturing business? 

Ans. Different manufacturing business ideas require varying investment amounts or capital to become operational. You may need from a few lakhs to a few crores to start your manufacturing business depending upon the nature and scale of your business. The best thing to do is—to start small, invest in essential machinery and equipment, and use resources efficiently. Only then can you grow your business to new heights? 

Q. Which manufacturing business is most profitable?

Ans. Manufacturing businesses like Candle making, paper products making, craft making, and food & beverage processing can provide more opportunities to earn with low investment. You can start these businesses at a small scale and grow further with quality, creativity, and customer satisfaction. 

Q. Which business is best in 50 lakhs?

Ans. With Rs 50 lakhs as business capital, there are a variety of ventures you can invest in. From developing your e-commerce platform to starting a nice restaurant, you can look into numerous profitable business ideas. For the record, here’s the list of business ideas to invest in if you have Rs 50 lakhs: 

• Educational Institute
• Cloud Kitchen and Food Delivery
• Digital Marketing Agency
• Online Education Platform:
• Shopping Bag Manufacturing:
• CarzSpa Detailing Studios
• Beauty Salon
• Open a Franchise (of any popular brand) 
• A Cafe 
• Corrugated Packaging Box Manufacturing
• Toys Manufacturing Business
• Detergents And Soap Manufacturing Business
• Bamboo Products Making
• Making disposable Hand Gloves, masks and Syringes
• Selling Organic Fertiliser 
• Herbal Beauty Products Making
• Spices Processing
• Food & Beverage Processing

Q. Which manufacturing is in demand in India?

Ans. According to erupted statistics providing websites, here are the most demanded manufacturing businesses in India to invest in: 

• Automotive and Electric Vehicles (EVs) Manufacturing
• Electronics and Semiconductors Manufacturing
• Pharmaceuticals (drug development) 
• Renewable Energy Equipment Manufacturing
• Food Processing
• Textiles and Apparel:
• Defense Manufacturing:

Q. How to start a paper cup manufacturing business? 

Ans. Here are the steps to start a paper cup manufacturing business: 

• First conduct market research to know the demand 
• Now conduct competitive research to know about prices and types of products other established businesses are offering. 
• Learn all about the manufacturing process. 
• Register your company and get the required licenses. 
• Apply for a bank loan if you need capital. 
• Source all the required equipment from a trusted vendor. 
• Hire skilled labor to help you. 
• Source best quality raw materials from the market. 
• Manufacture the paper cups as researched. 
• Finally, market your product to the vendors.