§1What this business is
Aluminium alloy is melted to about 700°C, poured into a die, cooled and cut; the casting is then bored, turned, drilled, ground and reamed to the final size, inspected, stamped and dispatched. Pistons sell to the replacement market and engine makers.
Capacity: 250 pistons a day, 75,000 a year (8 hours, 300 days); the plan runs at 60% in year 1 and 80% in year 5.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A foundry or machining professional with links to engine-parts dealers.
Who it is not for
Someone new to casting and precision machining.
Advantages
- Pistons wear out and are replaced in every engine overhaul
- Aluminium scrap and runners can be remelted
- Machining skills are available in auto-component clusters
- Can add piston rings and pins later
Drawbacks
- High break-even (49%) — needs steady orders
- Aluminium alloy price swings
- Close tolerances; rejects are costly
- Electric vehicles may reduce demand in future
Skills you need
- Alloy melting and die casting
- Precision turning and grinding
- Metallurgical and size testing
- Dealer and OEM sales
Why difficulty 4/5: Needs both foundry and precision machining skills, and the break-even is high.
§3Market
Who buys
- Engine and vehicle repair workshops
- Auto spare-parts dealers
- Engine makers
How it sells
- Spare-parts wholesalers and dealers
- Direct supply to engine and vehicle makers
Good to know
- The report quotes a global automotive piston market projected to grow from USD 1.9 billion in 2020 to USD 2.2 billion by 2025 (CAGR 3.5%).
- It says the shift to direct-injection petrol engines will add to demand for petrol-engine pistons.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Crucible-type tilting furnace (electric) | — | — |
| Die casting machine | — | — |
| Band saw | — | — |
| Boring machine | — | — |
| Lathe, bed length 4'6", swing 350 mm, 1.5 KW / 2 HP | — | — |
| Precision lathe | — | — |
| Pillar drilling machine, 0.5 HP | — | — |
| Tempering furnace, 400°C | — | — |
| Laboratory for chemical and physical testing | — | — |
| Total plant and machinery including other equipment (no item-wise prices printed) | — | ₹16.50 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Automobile Piston (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Aluminium alloy (standard Al-12% Si with about 1% each of Cu, Ni and Mg)28,000 kg a year at full capacity, ₹160 per kg
- Packing material₹1,30,000 a year at full capacity
From: PMEGP sample project report — Automobile Piston (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Engineering and Industrial · Coimbatore →Aluminium Alloy Manufacturing Co · Mumbai →Bassein Metals Pvt. Ltd · Mumbai →Electroil Super Ther mal Engineers · Nagpur →Fuel Instruments and Engineers Pvt. Ltd · Kolhapur →Instrumentation · Mumbai →Krystal Elmec · Ichalkaranji →Mechachem Industries · Nagpur →Plus-one Machine Fabrik · Belagavi →Radiant Metals and Alloys Pvt. Ltd · Mumbai →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State pollution board consent (melting furnace)
- Factory licence if the worker count requires it
- Fire NOC
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
PMEGP (the report was prepared for it), CGTMSE for a collateral-free loan, MUDRA up to ₹20 L.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant and machinery ₹16.50 L + furniture ₹1.00 L + working capital ₹6.67 L = ₹24.17 L; land and 1,000 sq ft shed own or rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹6.67 L in the project cost (bank working capital ₹6.00 L): 20 days of raw material and 10 days of finished pistons.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery and raw-material prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: EEPC India
- The project report prints no HS code; look up the 8-digit ITC(HS) line on the DGFT website or with a customs broker before exporting.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Casting defects and machining rejects
- Aluminium price rise
- Slow dealer payments
- Furnace and molten metal safety
§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 automobile piston manufacturing 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 Automobile Piston Manufacturing?
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.