§1What this business is
An industrial timer is a time-clock that switches a machine or process on and off at set, repeating intervals, used in plastics, pharma, petrochemical and steel plants and power stations. It has a crystal-controlled oscillator, sequencing logic, a relay driver and an LED display. Components are mounted on PCBs, the oscillator is checked for stability, the board, display and thumbwheel switches are fitted to the front panel and case, and each timer is calibrated and tested. The profile's model covers 0.1–999.9 seconds or minutes with 0.1% setting and repeat accuracy.
Capacity: 3,000 timers a year (250 a month), worth ₹30 L at ₹1,000 each.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An electronics engineer or technician with contacts among machine makers and plant maintenance teams.
Who it is not for
Someone without electronics design or testing skills.
Advantages
- Used across many industries for automation
- Small investment (₹7.83 L)
- Value added in design and calibration, not just assembly
- Can be customised for machine makers
Drawbacks
- Key parts (ICs, displays, thumbwheel switches) were imported in the profile
- PLCs and branded timers compete
- Industrial buyers want proven reliability
- High break-even (59%)
Skills you need
- Digital circuit assembly
- Calibration and testing
- Understanding machine control needs
- Selling to machine builders and factories
Why difficulty 3/5: Needs electronics skill and industrial buyers who trust your product.
§3Market
Who buys
- Plastic processors
- Pharmaceutical and petrochemical plants
- Steel plants and power stations
- Machine builders
How it sells
- Direct supply to machine makers
- Industrial electrical and automation dealers
Good to know
- The profile links demand to automation in petrochemical, cement, steel and fertiliser industries.
- Raw material needs change with each design and specification (profile).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Oscilloscope, 20 MHz | 1 | ₹20,000 |
| IC tester | 1 | ₹20,000 |
| Digital LCR meter | 1 | ₹15,000 |
| Transistor tester | 1 | ₹15,000 |
| Power supply, 0–30 V 2 A | 4 | ₹12,000 |
| Counter, 1 MHz | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Portable grinder | 1 | ₹7,000 |
| Bench drilling machine, ½" | 1 | ₹5,000 |
| Digital multimeter, 3½ digit | 1 | ₹3,500 |
| Tools, fixtures, jigs, soldering irons | 1 lot | ₹5,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Electronic Industrial Timers (2003)
- Thumbwheel switches (3 per timer, imported)₹180 a timer = ₹45,000 a month
- Integrated circuits (5 per timer, imported)₹100 a timer = ₹25,000 a month
- Casing and mechanical hardware₹90 a timer = ₹22,500 a month
- Transformer and relay₹75 a timer = ₹18,750 a month
- LED displays (3 per timer, imported)₹60 a timer = ₹15,000 a month
- Resistors, capacitors, PCBs, connectors, sockets, packing₹90 a timer = ₹22,500 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Electronic Industrial Timers (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Agronic Instrument (P) Ltd · Mumbai →Amar Radio Corpn · Bengaluru →Applied Electronics Ltd · Mumbai →OEN Connectors Ltd · Kochi →Peico Electronics and Electrical Ltd · Mumbai →Quality Machine Tools · Bengaluru →Swastic Machine Tools · Nashik →Systronics · Ahmedabad →BPL (India) Ltd · Bengaluru →Electronics Trade and Technology Dev · Delhi →General Electronics · Mumbai →Globe Industries · Bengaluru →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Trade licence from the local body
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
The ₹7.83 L project fits PMEGP, MUDRA (Tarun), CGTMSE and Stand-Up India.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DC-MSME profile: machinery and test equipment ₹1.08 L (20 MHz oscilloscope ₹20,000, IC tester ₹20,000, LCR meter ₹15,000, transistor tester ₹15,000, 4 power supplies ₹12,000, 1 MHz counter ₹10,000, portable grinder ₹7,000, bench drill ₹5,000, multimeter) + tools, electrification and office equipment ₹45,000 = fixed capital ₹1.53 L; working capital for 3 months ₹6.31 L; total ₹7.83 L. Premises rented.
Working capital: Working capital for 3 months ₹6.31 L; monthly spend ₹2.10 L, of which components ₹1.50 L (₹600 a timer, imported thumbwheel switches and ICs the biggest items).
Prices from 2002–03 — 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
Export council / board: ESC (Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council)
- 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
- Import dependence for components
- Competition from PLC-based control
- Warranty failures in harsh factory conditions
- Slow payment from industrial buyers
§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 electronic industrial timer 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), 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 Electronic Industrial Timer 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.