§1What this business is
Soft-grain wood is sawn, shaped, sanded and painted to make frames and handles. Natural hair is cleaned and cut to size, bunched, and fixed into holes drilled in the frame. The frame and handle are joined with glue, and the brush is trimmed and packed. The profile covers three products: shoe brushes, brushes for woollen clothes and carpets, and ladies' hair brushes. Fixing the hair by hand is the slowest step, so output rises with more workers.
Capacity: 81,000 brushes a year: 60,000 shoe brushes, 12,000 woollen cloth and carpet brushes and 9,000 ladies' hair brushes, on one 8-hour shift for 300 days.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A person with woodworking skill and a small team, selling to local wholesalers of household goods.
Who it is not for
Someone who wants a machine-run business with little labour.
Advantages
- Very low machinery cost of ₹40,150 in the profile
- Runs in a small rented space with 5 HP power
- Daily-use products sold in cities, towns and villages
- The profile says the process causes no pollution
Drawbacks
- Hand work limits output; hair fixing is the bottleneck
- Machine-made plastic and nylon brushes are cheaper
- Wages are the second largest monthly cost after raw material
Skills you need
- Sawing, turning and sanding wooden frames
- Sorting, cutting and bunching hair
- Painting and finishing
- Selling to wholesalers and general stores
Why difficulty 2/5: Simple tools and a known craft; the hard part is competing with cheap synthetic brushes.
§3Market
Who buys
- Wholesalers of household and general goods
- General stores and shoe shops
- Cosmetic and ladies' goods shops
- Dry cleaners, tailors and carpet sellers
How it sells
- Wholesale markets in the nearest city
- Direct supply to retail shops
- Weekly markets and fairs
Good to know
- The profile says the products sell in big cities, towns and villages, and that demand rises with living standards.
- It refers to the Indian Standard for shoe brushes; other brushes are made to the buyer's requirement.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wood working circular saw, 8 inch, with 1 HP motor | 1 | ₹5,250 |
| Wood working jig saw machine with 1 HP motor | 1 | ₹10,750 |
| Wood trimming lathe, 4 ft, with ½ HP motor | 1 | ₹9,450 |
| Belt and disc sander with ½ HP motor | 1 | ₹5,350 |
| Motorised bench drilling machine, 13 mm, ½ HP | 1 | ₹3,650 |
| Buffing and polishing machine with ½ HP motor and stand | 1 | ₹5,700 |
| Dies, tools, fixtures and measuring equipment | — | ₹3,000 |
| Office equipment and working tables | — | ₹10,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Hair Brushes (2003)
- Natural hair, assorted types120 kg a month at ₹250 per kg (2003)
- Sawn soft-grain wood50 cubic feet a month at ₹200 per cubic foot
- Resin or glue100 kg a month at ₹80 per kg
- Paint, varnish and nylon thread₹2,000 a month
- Packing material₹5,000 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Hair Brushes (2003)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Trade licence from the local body
- Factory licence if you employ 10 or more workers
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
The profile's cost of ₹4,15,000 is from 2003; today's cost will be higher, but it should still be well inside PMEGP's ceiling of ₹50 lakh of project cost for manufacturing — check it with fresh quotations. A MUDRA loan (up to ₹20 lakh) also suits this size. CGTMSE can back a collateral-free loan of up to ₹10 crore.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹67,000 (machinery ₹40,150, installation and electrification ₹4,015, dies, tools and measuring equipment ₹3,000, office equipment and tables ₹10,000, pre-operative expenses ₹10,000) + working capital for 3 months ₹3,48,000 = ₹4,15,000. The premises are rented, so no land or building cost is included.
Working capital: ₹1,16,000 a month: raw material ₹55,000, salary and wages ₹44,000, utilities ₹4,000 and other expenses including rent ₹13,000. The profile funds 3 months, ₹3,48,000.
Prices from 2003 — machinery, rent and wage costs will be much higher now.
§8Export potential
The profile says the products have good scope for export but prints no HS code or export data.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Buyers shifting to plastic and synthetic brushes
- Uneven supply and price of natural hair
- Trained hand workers leaving
- Wood and paint are a fire hazard in a small shed
§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 natural hair brush making (shoe, cloth, carpet and ladies' hair brushes) 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
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Natural Hair Brush Making (Shoe, Cloth, Carpet and Ladies' Hair Brushes)?
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.