§1What this business is
Leather is seasoned and cut, the pieces stitched into cups, joined over a cork-rubber core, given the final seam and polished. Meerut and Jalandhar grew as ball-making centres after 1947; the report says over 90% of leather cricket balls are made in India (2014 survey). Buyers are sports-goods dealers, clubs, academies and exporters.
Capacity: 200 balls a day on a 10-hour shift; year 1 at 30% of capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone from a sports-goods cluster with artisans and dealer contacts.
Who it is not for
Someone without access to skilled ball stitchers.
Advantages
- Cricket is played everywhere in India
- India makes most of the world's leather cricket balls
- Skilled workers in Meerut and Jalandhar clusters
- Export demand from cricket-playing countries
Drawbacks
- Cork has to be imported (report)
- Stitching is skilled hand work
- Quality must match established brands
- Seasonal demand around the playing season
Skills you need
- Leather seasoning and cutting
- Hand stitching of seams
- Core quality control
- Selling to dealers and academies
Why difficulty 3/5: Skilled hand work and quality-sensitive buyers.
§3Market
Who buys
- Cricket clubs, schools and academies
- Sports-goods dealers
- Exporters to cricket-playing countries
How it sells
- Sports-goods wholesalers in Meerut and Jalandhar
- Direct supply to academies and tournaments
- Export orders
Good to know
- The report says production is about 1,80,000 dozen a year, worth over ₹300 lakh, with room for 10–15 new units a year.
- Red balls last 80 overs or more and are used in Test and first-class cricket (report).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Power-operated press machine | 1 | ₹2,25,000 |
| Core seasoning oven | 1 | ₹5,00,000 |
| Hydraulic stamping press machine | 1 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Leather buff polishing machine | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Sewing machine | 1 | ₹35,000 |
| Other equipment and tools | 1 lot | ₹50,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Leather Cricket Ball (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Cork-rubber corecork has to be imported, per the report
- Leatherseasoned and cut to length
- Thread, polish and woolavailable in India
- Packing materialfor boxes of balls
From: PMEGP sample project report — Leather Cricket Ball (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Process cum Product Development Centre (PPDC), Meerut · Meerut →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Trade licence
- IEC for export
- Trademark for your brand (optional)
§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; MUDRA up to ₹20 L; CGTMSE for collateral-free loans; Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women owners.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: plant & machinery ₹11.70 L, furniture ₹0.80 L, working capital ₹3.21 L = ₹15.71 L. Land own or rented, not in the cost.
Working capital: Working capital ₹3.21 L (bank ₹2.89 L); 10 days of stock, 12 days' credit to buyers.
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: SGEPC
- SGEPC (Sports Goods Export Promotion Council) covers cricket gear.
- Exports need an IEC from DGFT.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Cork import costs and delays
- Inconsistent ball quality
- Skilled labour shortage
- Competition from established makers
§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 leather cricket ball 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 Leather Cricket Ball 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.