§1What this business is
The timer has a resistor-capacitor timing circuit, an IC 555 that triggers at the set time, a transistor driver and a piezo buzzer in a cabinet with a calibrated time scale on the front. It runs on a 1.5 V battery. With a relay or solenoid, the same circuit can switch an appliance off. Work is PCB assembly, soldering and testing.
Capacity: 3,500 timers a year at ₹150 each (cost value ₹7.21 L).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An electronics hobbyist or ITI technician starting very small.
Who it is not for
Someone who needs a full family income from day one.
Advantages
- Tiny investment (₹1.60 L)
- Simple circuit; easy to learn
- Can be built into appliances for other makers
- Low power and space needs
Drawbacks
- Very small income
- Phones and smart plugs now do the same job
- Cheap imported timers
- Needs a buyer for steady volume
Skills you need
- Soldering
- Reading simple circuits
- Testing with a multimeter and oscilloscope
- Selling to electrical shops and appliance makers
Why difficulty 1/5: Very small and simple; the challenge is finding buyers.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households wanting to switch off appliances on time
- Appliance makers who build timers into products
How it sells
- Electrical and electronics shops
- Supply to appliance makers
Good to know
- The profile pitches it as a labour- and waste-saving household device.
- The circuit can be built into an appliance with a relay or solenoid (profile).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 MHz oscilloscope | 1 | — |
| Multimeters | 1 lot | — |
| Stop-watch (mechanical) | 1 | — |
| Low-cost DC power supply | 1 | — |
| Hand tools, jigs and fixtures; office equipment, furniture and work table | 1 lot | — |
| All equipment (profile total) | 1 set | ₹30,000 |
From: KVIC Project Profile — DOMESTIC ELECTRONIC TIMER (PMEGP)
- Resistors, capacitors, IC 555, transistor, piezo buzzer, cabinet, 1.5 V batteryraw material ₹4.00 L a year at full capacity
- Labels and packing material₹25,000 a year
From: KVIC Project Profile — DOMESTIC ELECTRONIC TIMER (PMEGP)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CM YUVAUPActiveUp to ₹5 lakh, interest-free
A ₹1.60 L project: MUDRA Shishu/Kishore, PMEGP and UP's CM-YUVA all fit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: equipment ₹30,000 (oscilloscope, multimeters, stop-watch, low-cost DC power supply, hand tools and jigs, office furniture and work table) + working capital ₹1,30,000 = ₹1,60,000. Workshed rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹1.30 L — components (raw material ₹4.00 L a year).
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: Not verified yet
- The HS code depends on the final design (stand-alone timer or switch); check with DGFT before exporting.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Low demand for stand-alone timers
- Component price changes
- Returns from faulty units
- Import competition
§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 domestic electronic timer unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam, 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 Domestic Electronic Timer?
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.