§1What this business is
The rim is a main part of every bicycle and cycle rickshaw. A roll of CRCA steel strip is fed through a rim-forming machine whose rolls give it the rim shape. The formed strip is cut to length, the ends are butt-welded into a ring and the weld seam is ground. The rim is made perfectly round on a rounding machine, nipple holes and the valve hole are punched on power presses, and the rim is straightened, buffed, electroplated, polished, inspected and packed. The profile is costed for the common 28" × 1½" roadster rim, in 18 gauge strip for rickshaws and heavy loads and 20 gauge for ordinary bicycles; other shapes need a change of rolls. The Indian Standard for rims is IS 624:1991.
Capacity: The cover page prints 87,000 pairs of rims a year at 75% capacity use on a single shift, valued at ₹68.34 lakh; the sales table works the same value from 67,000 at ₹102.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone in or near a bicycle-parts cluster who knows sheet-metal forming and has buyers among cycle assemblers and parts wholesalers.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot run an electroplating shop to pollution-board rules.
Advantages
- Every bicycle and rickshaw needs two rims
- Replacement demand from repair shops as well as cycle makers
- One forming line makes other rim shapes by changing rolls
- The profile sees export scope along with bicycles
Drawbacks
- Electroplating needs pollution board consent and effluent treatment
- Steel strip is most of the cost, so margins move with steel prices
- Bicycle parts are a price-driven, crowded trade
- Needs 21 people for a modest turnover
Skills you need
- Roll forming and butt welding
- Electroplating and buffing
- Checking roundness and hole pitch to IS 624
- Selling to cycle makers and parts wholesalers
Why difficulty 3/5: A forming line plus an in-house electroplating shop with pollution rules.
§3Market
Who buys
- Bicycle and cycle-rickshaw makers and assemblers
- Bicycle-parts wholesalers
- Cycle repair shops (through dealers)
How it sells
- Direct supply to cycle assemblers
- Sale through parts wholesalers in cycle markets
Good to know
- The profile values a rim at ₹102.
- It names SAIL stockyards and the local market as sources of steel strip.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Rim-forming machine with 6 pairs of forming rolls and 7.5 HP motor | 1 | ₹2,40,000 |
| Butt-welding machine | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Seam-welding plant with electricals | 1 | ₹24,000 |
| Butt-weld grinding machine with 0.5 HP motor | 1 | ₹36,000 |
| Rim-rounding machine with 1 HP motor | 1 | ₹24,000 |
| Rim-straightening press with 3 HP motor | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Power press for nipple holes with 3 HP motor | 1 | ₹66,000 |
| Valve-hole punching machine with 1.5 HP motor | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Buffing addas with 1.5 HP motor | 2 | ₹48,000 |
| Electroplating plant with acid tanks | 1 | ₹2,40,000 |
| Dies and punches, tools, jigs and fixtures | — | ₹1,00,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Bicycle Rims (2011)
- CRCA steel strip in rolls (18 and 20 gauge)₹3,02,400 a month in the profile
- Electroplating chemicals₹60,000 a month
- Packing material₹1,800 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Bicycle Rims (2011)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent (electroplating)
- Factory licence (21 workers with power)
- IS 624 is the Indian Standard for bicycle rims — follow it, and take the BIS mark if buyers ask
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
At ₹23.97 lakh the project is within PMEGP's ₹50 lakh ceiling for manufacturing; CGTMSE can cover the bank loan without collateral.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹10,57,800 as printed (rim-forming, welding, grinding, rounding, straightening, punching and buffing machines and an electroplating plant; electrification and installation ₹79,800; dies, punches and tools ₹1,00,000; office furniture ₹36,000; pre-operative ₹36,000 — the shed is rented) + working capital for 3 months ₹13,39,680 = ₹23,97,480.
Working capital: Recurring cost ₹4,46,560 a month, of which CRCA strip and electroplating chemicals are ₹3,62,400; working capital for 3 months ₹13,39,680.
Prices from February 2011 — machinery, steel strip 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
- The profile says bicycles have good export potential in developing and Middle East countries, which also helps rim makers.
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Rise in CRCA strip prices
- Closure notice for untreated plating effluent
- Rims rejected for being out of round or poorly plated
- Price pressure from large rim makers
§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 bicycle rim 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
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Bicycle Rim 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.