§1What this business is
Glass capsules (tubes), plastic bodies, B22 caps and ballast circuit boards are bought from other makers. Workers wrap the filament wires to the ballast, fit the lamp into the plastic shell, solder the cap eyelet, clean flux, run a burn-in test, print the rating and batch code and pack. LED bulbs have since taken most of this market, so check demand carefully before investing.
Capacity: 30,000 lamps (15 W) a year.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An existing lighting assembler who still has institutional or replacement buyers for CFLs.
Who it is not for
A new founder — an LED lamp line is the safer choice today.
Advantages
- Pure assembly — the main parts are bought in
- Low machinery cost (₹1.26 L for machines and test gear)
- Simple assemble-test-pack line
Drawbacks
- LED lamps have taken most of the lighting market
- CFLs contain mercury — breakage and disposal need care
- Big lighting brands dominate
Skills you need
- Electronic assembly and soldering
- Burn-in and safety testing
- Selling through electrical dealers
Why difficulty 3/5: Easy assembly, but the product is being replaced by LED.
§3Market
Who buys
- Electrical dealers and shops
- Institutions and offices
- Households replacing old lamps
How it sells
- Electrical wholesalers
- Direct supply to institutions
Good to know
- The profile was written when CFLs replaced incandescent bulbs; LED lamps now lead the market, so confirm demand before investing.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla machine (first-stage checking) | 2 | ₹18,000 |
| Grinding tool for wire cleaning | 2 | ₹12,000 |
| PCB soldering station | 2 | ₹20,000 |
| Cap notching machine | 2 | ₹6,000 |
| Eyelet soldering unit | 2 | ₹20,000 |
| Pad printing machine | 1 | ₹12,000 |
| Sleeve cutting machine | 2 | ₹8,000 |
| Digital multimeter | 2 | ₹3,500 |
| Megger, 1000 V DC | 2 | ₹7,500 |
| Testing panel with ammeter, voltmeter and multimeter | 1 | ₹10,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Compact Fluorescent Lamp (MSME-DI New Delhi) (2021)
- Glass capsule (tube)2,500 a month at ₹12 each
- PBT plastic body2,500 a month at ₹4 each
- B22 cap2,500 a month at ₹1 each
- Ballast PCB2,500 a month at ₹12 each
From: DC-MSME project profile — Compact Fluorescent Lamp (MSME-DI New Delhi) (2021)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- BIS registration or certification if it applies to your lamp — check with BIS
- Extended producer responsibility registration under the E-Waste (Management) Rules for lamps
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP, MUDRA and CGTMSE fit the ₹16.53 L project — but test the market first.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Assembly machines ₹96,000 + test equipment ₹29,500 + electrification ₹12,550 + office equipment and work tables ₹30,000 + pre-operative ₹10,000 = fixed ₹1,78,050; working capital for 3 months ₹14,74,800. Total ₹16,52,850. Building rented.
Working capital: ₹4,91,600 a month, mostly salaries; parts for 2,500 lamps cost ₹82,500 (glass capsule ₹12, ballast PCB ₹12, plastic body ₹4, cap ₹1 each, plus assembly and packing charges).
Profile prepared in 2021 — check current machinery and material prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Falling demand for CFLs
- Mercury exposure from broken tubes
- Price war with branded lamps
§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 cfl (compact fluorescent lamp) assembly 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 CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) Assembly?
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.