§1What this business is
Chrome-tanned split leather is checked for even thickness, holes and cuts, marked with patterns and cut with scissors or a clicking knife. The parts are stitched on flat-bed and cylinder-bed machines, turned inside out and packed. Common sizes are 14, 16 and 18 inches. Split leather is used because it is cheap, rough-wearing and flexible. Factories, railways and defence buy these gloves as protective wear.
Capacity: 75,000 pairs a year (single shift, 25 days a month), valued at ₹15.75 lakh.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A small entrepreneur near a leather cluster with contacts in factories or industrial-supply shops.
Who it is not for
Someone who wants high margins or cannot chase institutional orders.
Advantages
- Very small investment
- Simple process: cut, stitch, turn, pack
- Steady demand from factories, railways and defence
- No pollution, says the profile
Drawbacks
- Low price per pair (₹21 in the profile) and thin margin
- Large buyers buy through tenders on price
- Leather price rise eats the margin
- Competition from cotton and synthetic gloves
Skills you need
- Leather cutting with low wastage
- Industrial sewing
- Quality checks to IS standards for gauntlets
- Tendering and industrial sales
Why difficulty 1/5: Tiny investment and a simple cut-and-stitch process.
§3Market
Who buys
- Factories and workshops
- Railways
- Defence establishments
- Industrial safety-equipment dealers
How it sells
- Government and PSU tenders
- Industrial supply dealers
- Direct supply to factories
Good to know
- The profile expects demand to grow with industrialisation and railway expansion.
- It lists IS 2573 and IS 2574 for leather gauntlets.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-bed single-needle industrial sewing machine, ½ HP | 5 | ₹35,000 |
| Cylinder-bed single-needle industrial sewing machine, ½ HP | 2 | ₹20,000 |
| Tools and fixtures | 1 lot | ₹5,000 |
| Office and workshop furniture | 1 lot | ₹25,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Industrial Hand Gloves (2003)
- Chrome-tanned split leather1,786 kg a month at ₹35 a kg (3.5 pairs per kg)
- Threadfor 6,250 pairs a month
- Cartons (100 pairs each)63 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Industrial Hand Gloves (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Industrial Sewing Machine Co. (P) Ltd · Mumbai →Peelu Sales Corporation · Agra →Singer Sewing Machine Co · Jaipur →Tata Export Tannery · Dewas →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- Trade licence
- BIS standards for leather gauntlets where buyers specify them
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CM YUVAUPActiveUp to ₹5 lakh, interest-free
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
At ₹4.3 lakh this fits CM-YUVA in Uttar Pradesh (projects up to ₹5 lakh), PMEGP and MUDRA; CGTMSE can guarantee the loan without collateral.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DC-MSME profile: machinery, tools, furniture and installation ₹0.91 L (5 flat-bed and 2 cylinder-bed sewing machines ₹0.55 L) = fixed capital ₹0.91 L; working capital for 3 months ₹3.42 L; total ₹4.32 L. Premises rented at ₹3,000 a month.
Working capital: ₹3.42 L for 3 months; split leather (1,786 kg a month) is almost all of it.
Prices from 2003 — machinery, land and raw-material costs will be much higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: Council for Leather Exports (CLE)
- Safety gloves for export usually need the buyer market's protective-equipment certification.
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Split leather price rise
- Tender price cuts
- Late payments
- Cheaper synthetic substitutes
§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 industrial leather hand gloves 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 Industrial Leather Hand Gloves?
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.