§1What this business is

Cane and bamboo from Uttarakhand's forests are cut to size, split into strips, treated, dyed with natural colours and hand-woven into baskets — storage and grain baskets, fruit and vegetable carriers, gift hampers and décor pieces — then polished and packed. Sales go to tourists, urban shops, hotels and homestays, corporate gifting, online buyers and exporters.

Capacity: 1,000–1,500 baskets a month.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

An artisan cluster, SHG or craft entrepreneur in a cane-growing district.

Who it is not for

Someone without access to weavers or raw cane.

Advantages

  • Raw material grows locally and renews fast
  • Very low machinery cost
  • Quick break-even in the profile (under a year)
  • Eco-friendly product that suits gifts and décor

Drawbacks

  • Handwork limits output
  • Needs new designs to reach urban and export buyers
  • Raw material harvest needs Forest Department regulation
  • Cheaper machine-made and plastic baskets compete

Skills you need

  • Cane splitting and weaving
  • Natural dyeing and finishing
  • Design for urban buyers
  • Selling at fairs and online

Why difficulty 2/5: Low cost and simple tools; skilled weavers and design decide success.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Tourists in Nainital, Mussoorie and Rishikesh
  • Hotels, resorts and homestays
  • Corporate gifting firms
  • Lifestyle brands and export houses

How it sells

  • Local fairs and exhibitions
  • Amazon, Flipkart, Etsy, Okhai, GoCoop
  • Instagram and Facebook

Good to know

  • The profile prices baskets at ₹350 (small) to ₹750 (export quality) against costs of ₹150–300.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Cane cutting machine——
Splitting tool——
Polishing equipment——
Dyeing tanks (natural dyes)——
Hand tools (knives etc.)——

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Himalayan Cane Basket Making

  • Cane and bamboofrom forests of Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Champawat
  • Natural dyes, threads, jute ropesfor colour and binding
  • Polishing agentsfor finishing

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Himalayan Cane Basket Making

In our raw material database

Bamboo (culms and splits) →

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration
  3. Forest Department permission or transit pass for cane where required
  4. Artisan card / handicraft registration (useful for fairs)

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP and MUDRA fit a ₹12–15 lakh craft unit; CGTMSE gives collateral-free cover. The profile also names the National Handicrafts Development Programme and Devbhoomi Udyamita Yojana.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: DUY profile: ₹12–15 lakh for a unit making 1,000–1,500 baskets a month; table total ₹14.5 lakh — workspace rent ₹2.0 lakh, tools and machinery ₹3.0 lakh, initial raw material ₹2.5 lakh, labour and wages ₹4.0 lakh, utilities ₹1.0 lakh, marketing ₹1.0 lakh, contingency ₹1.0 lakh. Finance: own ₹2.9 lakh (20%), bank loan ₹7.2 lakh (50%), subsidy ₹4.4 lakh (30%).

Working capital: The table includes ₹4.0 lakh for labour and wages and ₹2.5 lakh for first raw material.

Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current machinery and material prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

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

4602Basketwork, wickerwork and other articles made from plaiting materials

Export council / board: Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH)

  • Cane and bamboo goods may need fumigation and a phytosanitary certificate for some countries.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Raw cane shortage or harvest limits
  • Fungus and insects in stored cane
  • Price undercutting
  • Dependence on tourist seasons

§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 cane basket 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), 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 Cane Basket Making?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Himalayan Cane Basket Making

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