§1What this business is

An MCB is a switch that trips automatically on overload or short circuit and can be reset by hand, replacing old fuse units. The KVIC profile costs injection moulding, power presses, spot welding, riveting, coil winding, ovens, a calibration bench, high-voltage and endurance testers and a testing lab. Buyers are electricians, electrical shops, builders and panel makers.

Capacity: 1,20,000 MCBs a year.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

An electrical engineer or someone with switchgear experience and dealer contacts.

Who it is not for

Someone without technical skill — safety products cannot be sold without BIS approval.

Advantages

  • Every new house, shop and office needs MCBs
  • Replaces old fuse units
  • Steady replacement demand
  • Moderate investment for an electrical product

Drawbacks

  • BIS certification is compulsory and needs a test lab
  • Big brands dominate the market
  • Low net margin in the profile (about 6%)
  • Precise calibration and testing are essential

Skills you need

  • Moulding and assembly
  • Calibration and testing
  • BIS quality systems
  • Dealer and electrician network

Why difficulty 4/5: Safety product: compulsory BIS testing and strong brands make it hard.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Households and housing builders
  • Shops, offices, hotels, theatres and factories
  • Electrical panel makers

How it sells

  • Electrical distributors and shops
  • Electrical contractors

Good to know

  • KVIC notes MCBs protect TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators and heaters from short circuits and are fast replacing fuse units.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Injection moulding, spot welding, power presses (5/10/20 tonne), riveting, welding, air compressor, drill, bench grinder, hand press, semi-automatic coil winding, sealing machine, electric oven, calibration bench, high-voltage tester, 500 V megger, endurance tester, heating oven, temperature test set, testing lab, tooling and jigsset₹9,75,000

From: KVIC Project Profile — Miniature Circuit Breakers (PMEGP)

  • Raw material and components (not itemised in the profile)raw material ₹25.92 lakh a year at full capacity
  • Labels and packing material₹1.00 lakh a year

From: KVIC Project Profile — Miniature Circuit Breakers (PMEGP)

§5Licences & registration

  1. BIS licence (compulsory certification for MCBs)
  2. Udyam registration
  3. GST registration
  4. Trademark for your brand

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP (KVIC profile), MUDRA (cost under ₹20 lakh) and CGTMSE.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: equipment ₹9,75,000 + working capital ₹6,75,000 = ₹16,50,000. Workshed of 200 sq m on rent; land own.

Working capital: Working capital ₹6,75,000; raw material ₹25.92 lakh and labels/packing ₹1.00 lakh a year.

Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export

8536.20Automatic circuit breakers, for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V

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

  • BIS licence suspension after a failed test
  • Price competition from big brands and imports
  • Copper and silver contact price rises
  • Product liability if a breaker fails

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working miniature circuit breaker (mcb) unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (BIS licence (compulsory certification for MCBs), Udyam registration), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

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 Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) Unit?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. KVIC Project Profile — Miniature Circuit Breakers (PMEGP)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.