§1What this business is
Socks are knitted on single- or double-cylinder machines from cotton, acrylic, polyester or nylon yarn; the elastic top uses rubber or lycra yarn. The socks are then pressed and packed. Buyers are hosiery wholesalers, shops and school-uniform suppliers.
Capacity: 9,000 units a year at ₹173 each (the profile gives the unit as 'nps').
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone in a hosiery area who can sell to wholesalers and uniform suppliers.
Who it is not for
Someone expecting a high margin from a small unit.
Advantages
- Everyday product with steady demand
- Small set-up and small team
- Yarn is easy to buy in hosiery towns
- Can add school and sports socks later
Drawbacks
- Thin margin in the profile (₹1.07 L at full capacity)
- Many cheap socks come from big clusters
- Machines need regular needle and cam care
- Colour and size range ties up stock
Skills you need
- Running and setting knitting machines
- Yarn buying and colour matching
- Quality checks on size and elastic
- Wholesale selling
Why difficulty 2/5: Simple process; the hard part is selling at a profit.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Schools and uniform suppliers
- Hosiery wholesalers and retailers
How it sells
- Hosiery wholesale markets
- Garment and footwear shops
- Bulk orders from uniform suppliers
Good to know
- Equipment total in the KVIC profile is ₹4.92 lakh; the profile does not price each machine.
- Expected net surplus is ₹1.07 lakh a year at full capacity.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic power socks knitting machine for 3-colour socks | As listed | — |
| Automatic power socks knitting machine for plain socks | As listed | — |
| Overlock stitching machine | As listed | — |
| Wooden racks of different sizes, office table, chairs and almirah | 1 lot | — |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Knitted Socks (PMEGP)
- Cotton, acrylic, polyester and nylon yarnin different colours; ₹7.68 lakh a year in the profile
- Rubber thread or lycra yarnfor the elastic top
- Labels and packing material₹50,000 a year in the profile
From: KVIC Project Profile — Knitted Socks (PMEGP)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Crompton Pvt. Ltd · Thane →Meghaylen Synthetics Pvt Ltd · Mumbai →Suryalan Synthetic Inds. (P) Ltd · Mumbai →Vishit Synthetics (P) Ltd · Ahmedabad →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Trade licence from the local body
- Shops & Establishment or factory registration as your state requires
§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
PMEGP fits this ₹7.52 L project; MUDRA (Kishor/Tarun) can fund it; CGTMSE covers the loan without collateral. Stand-Up India needs a loan of at least ₹10 L, so it fits only a bigger unit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: equipment ₹4.92 L (automatic power socks knitting machines, overlock machine, racks, office furniture) + working capital ₹2.60 L = ₹7.52 L. Own land; no shed cost included.
Working capital: Working capital ₹2.60 L; raw material ₹7.68 L a year.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: AEPC
- AEPC (Apparel Export Promotion Council) covers knitted garments and hosiery.
- Exporters need an IEC (Importer-Exporter Code) from DGFT.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Yarn price swings
- Competition from large hosiery clusters
- Machine breakdown stopping output
- Unsold stock of slow designs
§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 knitted socks making 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 Knitted Socks Making?
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.