§1What this business is
A repair shop opens the phone, finds the fault and either replaces a part (display, touch panel, charging jack, speaker, mic, IC) or re-solders tiny SMD parts on the circuit board. Software faults are fixed by re-loading the phone's software with a computer and a 'software box'. The profile counts three kinds of job: minor, small and major repairs.
Capacity: 7,000 repairs a year: 4,000 minor (₹150 each), 2,000 small (₹250) and 1,000 major (₹800) — ₹19 lakh.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A young person trained in mobile repair who likes fine, careful work and dealing with customers.
Who it is not for
Someone who wants a fixed routine — every phone and fault is different, and skills go out of date fast.
Advantages
- Almost every person owns a phone, so repairs are needed everywhere
- Small investment — hand tools, a soldering station and a software box
- Fits a small shop in a market or near a college
- Cash is paid on delivery of the phone
Drawbacks
- New models and designs come out every few months, so learning never stops
- Many small shops and brand service centres compete on price
- Minor jobs pay only about ₹150
- Spare parts vary in quality and fake parts cause returns
Skills you need
- Fault finding on the circuit board
- SMD soldering and chip-level repair
- Software flashing and unlocking with the software box
- Buying good spare parts at the right price
Why difficulty 2/5: Low capital, but you need real hands-on repair skill and must keep learning new models.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households and students
- Shopkeepers and office workers
- People in semi-urban and remote areas where brand service is thin
How it sells
- Walk-in repair counter
- Tie-ups with mobile phone and accessory shops
Good to know
- The profile says brand after-sales service is not enough in many towns and remote areas.
- Spare parts in the profile cost only ₹20,300 a month; salaries (₹77,000) are the biggest monthly cost.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Soldering iron | 2 | ₹400 |
| Micro iron with temperature controller | 2 | ₹400 |
| Stencil set | 1 | ₹400 |
| Lamp with magnifier | 1 | ₹500 |
| Screwdriver sets | 2 | ₹500 |
| SMD rework (hot-air) machine | 1 | ₹3,300 |
| Digital multimeter | 2 | ₹1,400 |
| DC power supply | 2 | ₹2,000 |
| Supply machine | 1 | ₹2,500 |
| Mobile software box (assorted) | 2 | ₹80,000 |
| Cutters, blade handles, surgical blades, PCB holders, mobile opener | 1 set | ₹600 |
| Other tools and leads | lump sum | ₹20,000 |
| Office equipment, furniture, work table and computer/laptop | 1 lot | ₹1,50,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Mobile Phone Repairing Centre (MSME-DI New Delhi) (2021)
- Displays10 a month at ₹400 each
- Touch panels10 a month at ₹500 each
- Charging jacks, earphone jacks, speakers, ringers and ICspacks of 10; 5 packs each a month at ₹200 a pack
- Solder wire, desoldering wire, jumper wire, pastes and cleaning petrol₹4,300 a month in all
- Mics and lamination sheets₹1,100 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Mobile Phone Repairing Centre (MSME-DI New Delhi) (2021)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST (if turnover crosses the limit)
- Shop and establishment registration
- Trade licence from the local body
- E-waste: hand old batteries and boards to an authorised recycler
§6Schemes & subsidies
PMEGP covers service units, and the whole ₹7.35 L project fits MUDRA (Kishor / Tarun).
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹3.02 L (repair tools and test gear ₹1.12 L, of which two mobile software boxes ₹80,000; office equipment, furniture, work table and computer ₹1.50 L; electrification ₹11,200; pre-operative ₹29,000) + working capital for 3 months ₹4.33 L = ₹7.35 L. Shop rented.
Working capital: Running cost about ₹1.44 L a month (salaries ₹77,000, spare parts ₹20,300, power and water ₹6,000, rent and other costs ₹26,000); the profile keeps 3 months' worth, ₹4.33 L.
Prepared in 2020-21 with Delhi wages, rent and part prices — check current rates.
§8Export potential
A local repair service; there are no goods to export.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Damaging a customer's phone during repair
- Poor-quality or fake spare parts
- Price war with nearby shops
- Phones getting harder to open and repair
§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 mobile phone repair centre 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 (if turnover crosses the limit)), 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 Mobile Phone Repair Centre?
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.