§1What this business is
Glass tube is cut, flared and made into a stem; lead-in wires and a molybdenum support are mounted, the tungsten filament is fixed, and the stem is sealed into a glass shell, exhausted on a vacuum bench and capped. Lead-in wires are soldered and each lamp is tested to IS 1606:1979. Buyers are vehicle spare-parts dealers and workshops; the bulbs are mostly replacement parts.
Capacity: 75,000 lamps a month (9 lakh a year), worth ₹2.25 L a month at ₹3 each.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A lamp or glass technician near an auto-parts market who can sell to dealers.
Who it is not for
Someone without lamp-making experience; the product is shrinking as vehicles switch to LED.
Advantages
- Every vehicle needs bulbs and they are replaced often
- Machines are cheap and made in India
- Small space and power
- Parts (filaments, caps, glass shells) are bought ready
Drawbacks
- LED lamps are fast replacing filament bulbs in vehicles
- Very low price per lamp (₹3 in the profile)
- Big brands dominate the market
- Labour-heavy: 37 people
Skills you need
- Glass working (flaring, stem making, sealing)
- Vacuum exhausting
- Testing to IS 1606
- Selling to auto-parts dealers
Why difficulty 3/5: Skilled glass work and a shrinking market as LEDs take over.
§3Market
Who buys
- Auto spare-parts dealers
- Vehicle workshops and mechanics
- Vehicle owners buying replacements
How it sells
- Auto-parts wholesalers
- Retail spare-parts shops
Good to know
- The profile names large brands as the main sellers and says small units can compete with them.
- Vehicle makers are moving to LED lighting, which shrinks demand for filament bulbs.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Exhaust bench, 24 heads, with purifying tower set, gas control valve and vacuum | 4 | ₹1,14,000 |
| Vacuum unit | 4 | ₹1,12,000 |
| Spot welding machine | 4 | ₹80,000 |
| Stem making machine, 12 heads | 1 | ₹38,500 |
| Sealing machine, 12 heads | 1 | ₹38,000 |
| Flare making machine, 10 heads | 1 | ₹35,000 |
| Capping machine, 36 heads | 1 | ₹18,000 |
| Ageing rack with 5 kVA multi-tapped transformer | 1 | ₹14,000 |
| Photometric integrator, 24" dia | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Glass tube cutter, pre-focus machine, air blower, soldering sets, vibration and torsion testers, wire cutter and bender, cap engraver | 1 lot | ₹27,600 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Auto Miniature Lamp (2003)
- Ready coil filaments (6 V, 12 V; 12, 24, 36 W)75,000 a month, ₹7,500
- Lamp caps, assorted75,000 a month at ₹455 per 1,000 = ₹34,125
- Glass shells75,000 a month at ₹400 per 1,000 = ₹30,000
- Lead-in wire1,50,000 a month at ₹22 per 1,000 = ₹3,300
- Solder wire, capping cement, chemicals and packing₹17,125 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Auto Miniature Lamp (2003)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Trade licence from the local body
- State Pollution Control Board consent (glass-working burners)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
The ₹10.73 L project fits PMEGP, MUDRA (Tarun) and CGTMSE.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DC-MSME profile: machinery and test equipment ₹4.87 L (4 exhaust benches ₹1.14 L, 4 vacuum units ₹1.12 L, 4 spot welders ₹80,000, stem making ₹38,500, sealing ₹38,000, flare making ₹35,000 and more) + electrification ₹73,050 + tools and furniture ₹7,000 = fixed capital ₹5.67 L; working capital for 3 months ₹5.06 L; total ₹10.73 L. Building rented.
Working capital: Working capital for 3 months ₹5.06 L; monthly spend ₹1.69 L, of which wages ₹64,745 and raw material ₹92,050.
Prices from 2002–03 — machinery, material and wage costs will be much higher now.
§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
- Shift of vehicles to LED lighting
- High rejection rate if sealing or vacuum is poor
- Price pressure from brands and imports
- Gas and glass supply interruptions
§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 miniature lamp (vehicle bulb) making 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), 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 Miniature Lamp (Vehicle Bulb) Making?
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.