§1What this business is
Two spun-bond polypropylene rolls, an activated-carbon roll and a melt-blown polypropylene (N-95 filter) roll are fed into an automatic line that cuts and welds the four layers into the mask body, welds an aluminium nose clip punched on a small press, welds polyamide ear loops, makes the centre fold and mounts an exhalation valve. Masks are packed in plastic and cartons. Buyers are hospitals, clinics, chemists, industry and online shoppers.
Capacity: 11,52,000 masks in year 1 at 40% capacity use, rising to 17,28,000 in year 5 at 60%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
An investor with hospital or pharma-distribution contacts who can win tenders and supply chemists in bulk.
Who it is not for
Someone counting on pandemic-level demand to return, or a first-time founder with a small budget.
Advantages
- Hospitals, clinics, chemists and industry buy masks all year
- One automatic line does almost every step
- Online sales are the fastest-growing channel (the report says so)
- Activated-carbon and valve masks sell above plain masks
Drawbacks
- Demand and prices fell sharply after the COVID peak
- The line alone costs ₹1.80 crore
- Many makers compete on price
- Medical-device rules and filtration testing add cost
Skills you need
- Running and maintaining an automatic line
- Quality testing (filtration and fit)
- Hospital tenders and distributor sales
- Buying melt-blown and non-woven fabric
Why difficulty 4/5: A ₹2.2 crore investment in a crowded, price-driven market.
§3Market
Who buys
- Hospitals and clinics
- Chemists and drug stores
- Online shoppers
- Industry and institutions
How it sells
- Online stores
- Hospital supply and tenders
- Pharma distributors
Good to know
- The report says online stores are the fastest-growing sellers of surgical masks, followed by hospitals and drug stores.
- Before GST the machinery totals ₹1,52,00,000; GST of ₹27,36,000 brings it to ₹1,80,00,000 (rounded).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fully automatic N-95 mask making production line (with exhalation-valve station) | 1 | ₹1,40,00,000 |
| Mask packaging machine | 1 | ₹12,00,000 |
| Light-duty punching press (nose clips) | — | — |
From: UP MSME 1-Connect project profile — Surgical N-95 Mask Manufacturing Unit (2024)
- Spun-bond polypropylene rollouter and inner skin-contact layers
- Activated carbon sheet rollsecond layer
- Melt-blown polypropylene rollN-95 filter layer
- Polyamide elastic band reelear loops
- Aluminium sheetpunched into nose clips
- Exhalation valve partsexternal, internal and check-valve casing and diaphragm
- Packaging materialplastic packs and cartons
From: UP MSME 1-Connect project profile — Surgical N-95 Mask Manufacturing Unit (2024)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- CDSCO medical-device registration or licence where masks are sold as medical devices — check the current classification
- BIS certification (IS 9473 for respirators) if a quality control order applies — check the current list
- Trademark and barcode for retail and e-commerce (the report lists these)
- IEC if you import or export (the report lists this)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
At ₹222.70 L this is beyond PMEGP and MUDRA limits; a bank term loan is needed — CGTMSE can cover collateral-free credit and Stand-Up India helps SC/ST and women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Shed 5,000 sq ft ₹16.75 L + plant & machinery ₹180.00 L + furniture ₹1.50 L + pre-operative ₹0.50 L + interest during construction ₹7.98 L + working-capital margin ₹15.97 L = ₹222.70 L. Finance: term loan ₹145.00 L, own capital ₹60.00 L, unsecured loan ₹17.70 L.
Working capital: Working-capital margin ₹15.97 L; interest on working capital ₹5.27 L a year in the report.
UP MSME 1-Connect report, 2024.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: Not verified yet
- No HS code or export body has been checked against an official list yet.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Oversupply and price crash
- Melt-blown fabric price and supply
- Failed filtration tests
- Stock expiring unsold
§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 n-95 mask manufacturing (automatic line) 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 N-95 Mask Manufacturing (Automatic Line)?
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.