§1What this business is
A ball pen refill is a plastic tube filled with ink and fitted with a ball-point tip. The process is simple: cut the tubes, fill ink, fix the nozzle tip and spin the refills in a centrifuge to remove air, then hot-stamp and pack. The KVIC profile uses a punching machine, ink filling machine, nozzle fixing machine, centrifuge and hot stamping machine. Buyers are stationery shops, pen assemblers and schools.
Capacity: Printed as 215 (in lakh) refills at ₹1 with a value of ₹2.15 lakh — the figures in the profile do not add up.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A first-time rural entrepreneur or self-help group wanting a small side income.
Who it is not for
Someone looking for a full-time income — the profile's surplus is very small.
Advantages
- Very small investment (about ₹2.24 lakh)
- Simple process that can be learnt quickly
- Refills are used by every student and office
- Can be run from a small rural workshed
Drawbacks
- Very low income in the profile (₹26,000 surplus a year)
- Big pen brands and cheap imports dominate
- Ink and tip quality decide repeat orders
- Low price per piece
Skills you need
- Ink filling and tip fixing
- Quality checks for leakage and writing
- Packing
- Selling to stationery shops
Why difficulty 1/5: Very easy to start; the hard part is earning enough at such low prices.
§3Market
Who buys
- Students and offices, through stationery shops
- Pen assemblers
- Schools and institutions
How it sells
- Stationery wholesalers
- Direct supply to local shops
Good to know
- KVIC notes ball pens are used by all groups everywhere, and that branded products with heavy advertising have entered the market.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Punching machine, ink filling machine, nozzle fixing machine, centrifuging machine, hot stamping machine | set | ₹50,000 |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Ball Pen Refills (PCBI) (PMEGP)
- Refill tubes, ink and ball-point tipsraw material ₹2.50 lakh a year
- Labels and packing material₹6,000 a year
From: KVIC Project Profile — Ball Pen Refills (PCBI) (PMEGP)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration (if turnover requires)
§6Schemes & subsidies
PMEGP (KVIC profile) and MUDRA Shishu cover this size of project.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: workshed 200 sq m ₹1,00,000 + equipment ₹50,000 = capital ₹1,50,000; working capital ₹74,071; total ₹2,24,071. Land own.
Working capital: Working capital ₹74,071; raw material ₹2.50 lakh a year.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: PLEXCONCIL
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Poor quality tips causing returns
- Price competition
- Ink supply
- Low margins
§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 ball pen refill unit 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 (if turnover requires)), 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 Ball Pen Refill Unit?
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.