§1What this business is
Copper, tin, zinc and brass scrap or ingots are melted in a pit furnace and cast, or bars are cut on a band saw; pieces are machined on lathes into plain, grooved or flanged bushes. Some are coated with PTFE or tin and cured in an oven. Machine-shop scrap goes back into the furnace.
Capacity: 0.20 tonne a day; 60 tonnes a year at full capacity (60% in year 1).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A machinist or foundry hand near a pump, motor or tractor cluster.
Who it is not for
Someone without lathe skills or metal-trade knowledge.
Advantages
- Wear part — machines need frequent replacements (report)
- Small machine set (₹5.50 L)
- Many buyers: pumps, tractors, earth-movers, compressors, appliances
- Own scrap is recycled in the furnace
Drawbacks
- Metal is about 80% of sales value — copper price swings hurt
- Large working capital for metal stock
- Furnace work needs safety and pollution control
- Over 100 makers already compete (report)
Skills you need
- Non-ferrous casting
- Lathe turning and grooving
- Alloy and scrap grading
- Selling to OEMs and spare-parts traders
Why difficulty 3/5: Casting and machining skills plus metal-price risk.
§3Market
Who buys
- Pump and submersible-pump makers
- Tractor, trailer and earth-mover makers
- Compressor and machine makers
- Spare-parts traders
How it sells
- Trade channels and spare-parts dealers
- Direct OEM supply
Good to know
- The report says there are more than 100 makers, with clusters in UP, Punjab, Haryana, Pune, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Rajkot and Surendranagar.
- It advises starting with trade channels and then targeting OEMs.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pit furnace complete with burners and blowers | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Band saw machine | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Lathe | 2 | ₹1,50,000 (₹75,000 each) |
| Torches and coating attachments | 2 | ₹24,000 (₹12,000 each) |
| Curing oven | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| Bench and belt grinders | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| Gauges and tools | 1 lot | ₹16,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Gun Metal Bushes (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Scrap or ingots of copper, brass, tin and zinc60 t a year at ₹3,15,000 a tonne (full capacity); 4% loss
- Brass and bronze rods and barsfor machining
- PTFE/FEP/PFA or tin coating materialfor self-lubricating bushes
From: PMEGP sample project report — Gun Metal Bushes (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent (furnace)
- Factory licence
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP fits (the report shows a margin-money line); MUDRA and CGTMSE for credit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan (Institute for Industrial Development) report: building and civil work (2,000 sq ft) ₹4.63 L, plant & machinery ₹5.50 L, furniture ₹0.60 L, pre-operative ₹0.90 L, working capital ₹13.37 L = ₹25.00 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹13.37 L (bank ₹12.03 L) — metal is expensive stock; 15 days' raw material and finished goods.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: EEPC India
- HS codes are from the WCO HS 2022 list; 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
- Copper and tin price swings
- Casting defects
- Theft of costly metal stock
- Late payments from OEMs
§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 gun metal bushes 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 Gun Metal Bushes?
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.