§1What this business is
Tables have knock-down frames of hollow mild-steel tube, phosphated and powder-coated, with 18 mm pre-laminated board tops, a keyboard drawer, a sliding mouse board, a lockable drawer and shelves for the CPU and UPS. Chairs are revolving and height-adjustable, with pressed ply seats and backs padded with foam and covered in fabric, a tilt mechanism made in the unit and a five-arm base on castors. The profile makes three table types and three chair types. Buyers are offices, computer training institutes, schools, colleges, laboratories and homes.
Capacity: 4,600 tables (1,800 computer tables, 1,000 computer-cum-printer tables, 1,800 printer tables) and 8,500 chairs (4,000 without arms, 3,000 with arms, 1,500 executive) a year, worth ₹282.9 lakh.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A fabricator or furniture dealer with contacts in offices, schools and government buying.
Who it is not for
Someone hoping to start with little working capital.
Advantages
- Low machinery cost (₹3.9 lakh) — most of the money is working capital
- Knock-down design is cheap to pack and transport
- Offices, schools and institutes buy in bulk
- Other office furniture can be made on the same line
Drawbacks
- Heavy competition from large brands and online sellers
- Most parts are bought in, so the margin depends on buying well
- Large working capital
- Designs change often
Skills you need
- MS welding, phosphating and powder coating
- Upholstery
- Buying bought-out parts well
- Institutional and tender sales
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple fabrication, but large working capital and strong brand competition.
§3Market
Who buys
- Offices
- Computer training institutes
- Schools, colleges and laboratories
- Homes
How it sells
- Furniture dealers and showrooms
- Institutional orders and government tenders
Good to know
- The profile says computer furniture has both a home and an export market.
- Sale prices in the profile run from ₹1,800 (printer table) to ₹3,000 (executive chair).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-purpose wood working machine | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Hand-operated screw press | 1 | ₹12,000 |
| Arc welding machine, 300 A | 1 set | ₹10,000 |
| Gas welding set | 1 set | ₹3,500 |
| Pipe shearing machine, 4-inch | 1 set | ₹11,000 |
| Double-ended bench grinder, 6-inch | 1 | ₹4,000 |
| Flexible shaft grinder | 2 | ₹2,000 |
| Bench drilling machine, ¾-inch | 1 | ₹12,000 |
| Portable drilling machine | 1 | ₹3,000 |
| Powder coating equipment | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Air compressor | 1 | ₹40,000 |
| Paint baking oven, 300°C, 8 × 6 ft | 1 | ₹85,000 |
| Phosphating plant | 1 | ₹30,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Computer Furniture (PMRY series, prepared by SISI) (2003)
- MS square and rectangular tube, assorted sizes46 tonnes a year at ₹22,000 a tonne in the profile
- Pre-laminated particle board, both sides, 18 mm6,000 sq m a year at ₹600 a sq m
- Plywood seat and back sets with PU foam7,000 general sets at ₹1,000 and 1,500 executive sets at ₹1,500 a year
- Twin-roller ABS castor sets8,500 sets a year at ₹325
- MS pedestal arms and MS strip42.5 tonnes at ₹25,000 and 81 tonnes at ₹15,500 a tonne a year
- PUF arm sets, fabric, ball-bearing channels, PVC beading and powder coating compoundbought in; costs listed separately in the profile
From: DC-MSME project profile — Computer Furniture (PMRY series, prepared by SISI) (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
A. P. Engineering Works · Amritsar →A.P. Enterprises · Amritsar →Ajit Electro Sales · Ludhiana →Akal Industries · Ludhiana →Charandeep Industries · Ludhiana →Guru Nanak Fabricators · Ludhiana →Nightingale · Ludhiana →Welding and Corporation · Ludhiana →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- State Pollution Control Board consent (phosphating and powder coating)
- Trade licence from the local body
- BIS certification if a Quality Control Order covers office chairs or tables — check the current BIS list
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
Too big for PMEGP (₹50 lakh) and MUDRA (₹20 lakh); CGTMSE backs a loan without collateral and Stand-Up India gives SC/ST and women founders loans up to ₹1 crore.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹4.66 lakh (machinery ₹3.925 lakh + electrification ₹0.39 lakh + tools and office furniture ₹0.14 lakh + pre-operative ₹0.20 lakh) + working capital for 3 months ₹59.97 lakh = ₹64.63 lakh. Shed rented (450 sq m at ₹20 a sq m a month).
Working capital: ₹19.99 lakh a month, almost all of it bought-in material and parts (₹19.26 lakh); 3 months = ₹59.97 lakh.
Prices from 2003 — machinery, material and wage costs will be much higher now.
§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
- Price war with branded and imported furniture
- Steel and board price swings
- Unsold stock of old designs
- Late payment from institutions
§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 computer furniture (tables and chairs) 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), 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 Computer Furniture (Tables and Chairs)?
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.