§1What this business is
You design and fabricate the sheet-metal enclosure, fit bought-in switchgear, meters, relays, terminals and wiring to the circuit design, then test each panel. Panels go to factories, pump and motor users, builders and electrical contractors. Most of the value is in components, so buying and design accuracy decide profit.
Capacity: 300 LT panels a year at full capacity; year 1 at 50%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An electrical engineer, diploma holder or contractor who already gets panel enquiries.
Who it is not for
Someone without electrical knowledge — wrong wiring is dangerous.
Advantages
- Every factory, pump house and building needs panels
- Custom work earns better than standard goods
- Low machinery cost (₹4.20 L)
- Repair and retrofit work adds income
Drawbacks
- Component prices take most of the sale value
- Needs electrical design skill
- Big buyers pay late
- Brand-name panel makers compete on tenders
Skills you need
- Reading single-line diagrams and designing panels
- Sheet-metal fabrication and powder/paint finish
- Wiring and testing (HV tester, megger)
- Costing and quoting
Why difficulty 3/5: Technical design and testing work with working-capital pressure.
§3Market
Who buys
- Factories and workshops
- Pump and motor users (irrigation, water supply)
- Builders and electrical contractors
- Generator and transformer installers
How it sells
- Direct orders from industry
- Electrical contractors
- Government and private tenders
Good to know
- The report sees growing scope from electrification, industrialisation and PLC-based automation.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-operated sheet bending machine | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Guillotine shearing machine 1,200 mm | 1 | ₹65,000 |
| Drilling machine 15 mm and 25 mm | 1 | ₹20,000 |
| Bench grinder 200 mm | 1 | ₹12,000 |
| Arc welding transformer 300 A | 1 | ₹30,000 |
| Gas welding equipment | 1 | ₹48,000 |
| Hand shearing machine | 1 | ₹8,000 |
| Power hacksaw 150 mm | 1 | ₹15,000 |
| Air compressor with spray gun | 1 | ₹20,000 |
| Flexible-shaft grinder | 1 | ₹15,000 |
| Portable drilling machine 15 mm | 1 | ₹15,000 |
| Fly press No. 8 | 1 | ₹15,000 |
| Hand-operated coil winding machine | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Baking oven 600 × 600 × 600 mm | 1 | ₹22,000 |
| Tools, dies etc. | 1 lot | ₹30,000 |
| Testing set: HV tester 5 kV, megger 1000 V DC, 2 multimeters, precision voltmeter, 3 loading rheostats, LCR meter | 1 set | ₹65,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — LT Control Panel (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) (2019)
- Instruments and control accessories300 sets at ₹20,000 = ₹60.00 lakh at full capacity
- MS sheet, angles and flats30 units at ₹28,000 = ₹8.40 lakh
- Terminal strips, fuse units etc.₹6.75 lakh
- Bolts, nuts, hinges, springs; wiring and insulating materials₹2.50 lakh and ₹2.75 lakh
From: PMEGP sample project report — LT Control Panel (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) (2019)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Trade licence from the local body
- Electrical contractor licence if you also install panels on site (state electrical inspectorate)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP fits; MUDRA covers loans up to ₹20 L; CGTMSE for a collateral-free loan.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: building and civil work ₹2.00 L, plant and machinery ₹4.20 L, other assets (furniture, electrical installation) ₹1.50 L, working-capital margin ₹1.50 L = ₹9.20 L. Bank term loan ₹5.50 L and working-capital loan ₹4.00 L.
Working capital: Components are costly: instruments and control accessories alone are ₹60.00 L of the ₹80.40 L raw material at full capacity; working-capital limit ₹4.00 L.
Report figures are for 2019-20 — machinery and component costs will be higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: EEPC India
- 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
- Component price rise after a quote
- Late payments
- Faults and warranty claims
- Tender competition
§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 lt electrical control panel 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 LT Electrical Control Panel?
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.