§1What this business is

Bamboo is selected by diameter, cut to length, cleaned inside and sanded. Holes are marked and burnt with hot metal rods, a cork is fitted, the length is trimmed to pitch and each hole is filed until it sounds right. The flute is washed and kept overnight in almond and ginger oil. The report notes Pilibhit makes about 90% of India's flutes, with bamboo from Silchar in Assam.

Capacity: 250 flutes a day; year 1 at 60%.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

An artisan family or group in a flute cluster, or someone who can employ skilled tuners.

Who it is not for

Someone with no access to skilled flute makers.

Advantages

  • Almost no machinery — hand tools and a power drill
  • Strong cultural demand and a known Pilibhit name
  • Range from cheap toy flutes to professional instruments
  • Buyers abroad in the US and Europe, says the report

Drawbacks

  • Very thin first-year profit (2.1%)
  • Tuning skill is rare and learnt over years
  • Cheap imported flutes hurt sales, the report says
  • Bamboo comes from far away (Assam)

Skills you need

  • Bamboo selection
  • Hole burning and tuning
  • Finishing and oiling
  • Selling at fairs, music shops and online

Why difficulty 3/5: Tuning is a craft skill learnt over years, and first-year profit is thin.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Classical and folk musicians
  • Fair-goers buying toy flutes
  • Buyers in the US and Europe

How it sells

  • Music instrument shops
  • Fairs and exhibitions
  • Exporters and online stores

Good to know

  • The report says Pilibhit accounts for about 90% of flutes made in India.
  • Large musicians of the classical tradition source their instruments from Pilibhit and Bareilly, the report notes.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Craft knives, chisels, power drill and hand tools (stores and spares)1 set₹30,000–32,000

From: PMEGP sample project report — Flute Making Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Bamboo stickssourced from Silchar, Assam; raw material ₹60–70 a flute
  • Pencil, rod and sand paperfor marking, cleaning and smoothing
  • Corkfitted above the blowing hole
  • Almond oil and ginger oilflutes are kept overnight in it

From: PMEGP sample project report — Flute Making Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

In our raw material database

Bamboo (culms and splits) →

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration once turnover crosses the limit
  3. Trade licence from the local body
  4. IEC from DGFT if you export

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

Built for PMEGP; at ₹9.33 L it also fits MUDRA and CGTMSE.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Building/shed 1,000 sq ft ₹5.00 L + furniture ₹1.00 L + working capital ₹3.33 L = ₹9.33 L; no separate machinery line (hand tools ₹30,000–32,000). Finance: own ₹0.93 L, term loan ₹5.40 L, working-capital loan ₹3.00 L.

Working capital: Working capital ₹3.33 L (bank ₹3.00 L); raw material about ₹60–70 a flute.

Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export

9205.90Wind musical instruments — other than brass-wind

Export council / board: DGFT

  • HS codes are from the WCO HS 2022 list; 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 or cracked bamboo
  • Skilled artisans leaving the trade
  • Cheap imports
  • Seasonal fair sales

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working bamboo flute (bansuri) making unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration once turnover crosses the limit), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

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 Bamboo Flute (Bansuri) Making?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. PMEGP sample project report — Flute Making Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.