§1What this business is
Alloy spring-steel flats are cut to length and drilled, heated and rolled to form an eye at each end, then forged hot to the right curve (camber) and quenched in oil. The hardened leaves are tempered, shot-blasted, tested for hardness and camber, and assembled with U-bolts and fasteners. Springs are made to IS 1135 with steel to IS 3431, as the profile states. Most sales are replacements for broken springs, plus supply to vehicle and trailer makers.
Capacity: 500 MT of springs a year, with U-bolts and fasteners; year 1 at 40%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone with a mechanical or metallurgy background and an existing network of auto-parts dealers or vehicle makers — the profile assumes prior industry experience.
Who it is not for
A newcomer without heat-treatment know-how or buyers in the truck trade.
Advantages
- Springs break often on overloaded trucks, so replacement demand is steady
- Also used in trailers, tractor trolleys, earth-movers and railways
- Simple, well-known process with Indian Standards to follow
- Scrap is sold back at ₹20–30 a kg
Drawbacks
- Very thin margin — steel and inputs take about 90% of sales
- Loss in the first year and break-even near half of capacity
- Heat treatment errors cause spring failures on the road
- Furnaces and forging make it a hot, heavy, polluting workplace
Skills you need
- Forging and heat treatment (hardening and tempering)
- Testing hardness and camber
- Buying spring steel at the right price
- Selling to spare-parts dealers and fleet owners
Why difficulty 4/5: Heavy heat-treatment work, thin margins and safety-critical parts.
§3Market
Who buys
- Truck and LCV owners (replacement springs)
- Auto spare-parts dealers
- Trailer and tractor-trolley makers
- Vehicle makers (OEM)
How it sells
- Spare-parts wholesalers and retailers
- Direct OEM supply contracts
Good to know
- The profile cites domestic commercial-vehicle sales growing from 0.6 million in 2015 towards more than 2 million by 2026.
- Springs sell at ₹75–90 a kg, per the profile.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Band saw machine | 1 | ₹65,000 |
| Shearing machine | 1 | ₹40,000 |
| Oil-fired hearth furnace for blanks | 1 | ₹4,50,000 |
| Forging / camber rolling machine | 1 | ₹2,00,000 |
| Eye rolling machine | 1 | ₹1,20,000 |
| Eye grinding machine | 1 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Tempering furnace | 1 | ₹1,20,000 |
| Shot blasting machine | 1 | ₹4,50,000 |
| Spring test equipment | 1 | ₹3,20,000 |
| Weighing machine, tools and fixtures | lump sum | ₹1,15,000 |
From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Auto Leaf Springs (for LCV, HCV) (2018) — private guide — confirm locally
- Alloy spring-steel flats (to IS 3431)₹55–70 a kg in the profile
- U-bolts and fastenersto assemble the spring set
- Furnace oil and quenching oilfor heating and hardening
From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Auto Leaf Springs (for LCV, HCV) (2018) — private guide — confirm locally
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent (oil-fired furnace, shot blasting)
- Factory licence
- BIS certification if a Quality Control Order covers the spring steel or springs you use — check with BIS
- Fire safety clearance for the furnace area
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
CGTMSE for a loan without collateral; Stand-Up India (₹10 L–₹1 crore) for SC/ST and women founders; MUDRA covers up to ₹20 L of the cost. The ₹68.66 L cost is above PMEGP's ₹50 L ceiling.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Land ₹10.00 L + building ₹15.00 L + plant and machinery ₹19.80 L + fixtures and electrical installation ₹2.55 L + preliminary and pre-operative ₹2.00 L + margin for working capital ₹19.31 L = ₹68.66 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹42.52 L gross (stocks ₹13.23 L, receivables ₹14.66 L, overheads ₹1.40 L, creditors ₹13.23 L); margin ₹19.31 L, bank ₹23.21 L. Finance: owner ₹31.65 L, loan ₹37.01 L.
SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra profile, uploaded in 2018 (no year printed on it) — prices will be higher now; check current costs.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: EEPC India
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Steel price swings eating the thin margin
- Field failures and liability from bad heat treatment
- Slow payments from dealers
- Furnace fuel cost rises
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working auto leaf springs for trucks and light commercial vehicles unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Auto Leaf Springs for Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.