§1What this business is
Willow clefts are sawn and shaped, pressed, fitted with cane handles, turned and sanded, then finished with grips, stickers and varnish or polish. The Samadhan report says about 80% of the world's tennis-ball bats are made in India from Kashmir willow, supplied to units in Jalandhar, Jammu and Meerut. The KVIC profile covers a much smaller hand-finishing unit.
Capacity: Samadhan: 40 bats a day in a 10-hour shift, 30% use in year 1. KVIC: capacity printed as 48,000 a year (unit not stated).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A woodworker or sports-goods trader near the Jalandhar, Meerut or Jammu clusters.
Who it is not for
Someone without woodworking skill or a sports-goods buyer.
Advantages
- Cricket bats sell at home and abroad
- Can start tiny (KVIC ₹3.35 L) and grow
- A settled willow supply chain from Kashmir
Drawbacks
- Willow cleft price and supply vary with the Kashmir harvest
- Labour-heavy — wages are the second-biggest cost
- Branded bats rule the top end
Skills you need
- Wood shaping and pressing
- Handle fitting and finishing
- Selling through marketing agents and sports shops
Why difficulty 2/5: Basic woodworking machines; craft skill matters most.
§3Market
Who buys
- Cricket players, clubs and academies
- Sports-goods shops across India
- Export buyers
How it sells
- Marketing agents — most sales go through them (report)
- Direct visits to city markets
- Exporters
Good to know
- Kashmir willow bats sell to Punjab, UP, Delhi, Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata (report).
- About 80% of the world's tennis-ball bats are made in India (report).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Band saw machine | 2 | ₹1,30,000 (₹65,000 each) |
| Surface planer | 1 | ₹95,000 |
| Sand roller with dust-collecting duct | 1 | ₹95,000 |
| Bat press machine | 1 | ₹1,49,000 |
| Chook machine | 1 | ₹80,000 |
| Scoop wood design machine | 1 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Spray gun | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| Cutter with motor | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Wood-working lathe with motor | 1 | ₹1,30,000 |
| Router with motor and accessories | 1 | ₹17,000 |
| Handle lathe machine | 1 | ₹40,000 |
| Motor with bearings and driving belts | 1 | ₹85,000 |
| Other equipment | — | ₹1,00,000 |
| KVIC unit: band saw, bat processing machine (3 HP), bat finishing machine (1 HP), wood lathe (1 HP), tools | — | ₹60,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Cricket Bat (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) · KVIC Project Profile — Cricket Bats (PMEGP)
- Kashmir willow clefts
- Cane handles and handle thread
- Grips, stickers and sandpaper
- Varnish, thinner, polish and synthetic glue
- Skin padding lamination, polythene packing and bat bags
- KVIC unit: willow clefts, cane, other woods, twine, rubber grips, duco paint, hydrogen peroxide, linseed oil₹12,00,000 a year for raw material
From: PMEGP sample project report — Cricket Bat (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) · KVIC Project Profile — Cricket Bats (PMEGP)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Process cum Product Development Centre (PPDC), Meerut · Meerut →Cricket Bat Manufacturing Industry Cluster · Anantnag →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Trade licence from the local body
- IEC (Import Export Code) for export
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP (the report is a PMEGP sample), MUDRA for loans up to ₹20 L and CGTMSE for collateral-free cover fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Min: KVIC profile — equipment ₹60,000 (band saw, bat processing and finishing machines, wood lathe, tools) + working capital ₹2,75,000 = ₹3.35 L. Max: Samadhan report — plant & machinery ₹10.56 L, furniture ₹1.20 L, working capital ₹8.06 L = ₹19.82 L. The PMEGP list shows a second Samadhan report at ₹23.13 L, but its link returned the same ₹19.82 L report.
Working capital: Samadhan: working capital ₹8.06 L, of which bank finance ₹7.25 L; 15 days of stock. KVIC: working capital ₹2,75,000; raw material ₹12,00,000 a year.
Year not printed on either report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: SGEPC (Sports Goods Export Promotion Council)
- 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
- Willow shortage
- Returns for cracked or badly pressed bats
- Agent commissions eating the margin
§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 cricket bats 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 Cricket Bats?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
- KVIC Project Profile — Cricket Bats (PMEGP)
- PMEGP sample project report — Cricket Bat (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.