§1What this business is
Virgin copper and nickel are weighed in a 55:45 ratio, melted in a crucible in a coke-fired pit furnace and cast into 1-inch rods. The rods are rolled thinner, then drawn through a series of wire drawing machines down to fine gauges, with bright annealing in between whenever the wire hardens. The finished wire (also called Eureka wire) is tested for resistance and temperature coefficient. Electronics and electrical makers use it for instrument coils, shunts and precision resistors. The profile calls it an import substitute.
Capacity: 60 kg of wire a day on one shift (1.5 MT a month); sales worked out on 18 MT a year.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A wire-drawing or electrical-components hand with contacts among instrument and resistor makers.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot fund costly nickel stock or run resistance tests.
Advantages
- Few units make it; the profile says part of demand is met by imports
- High value per kg — ₹4,25,000 a MT in the profile
- Small space and modest machinery
- The profile says the unit creates no pollution hazard
Drawbacks
- Nickel is costly and its price swings sharply
- Buyers test resistance closely; off-spec wire is scrap
- Fine-gauge drawing needs skill and good dies
- Small, specialised buyer base
Skills you need
- Alloy melting to exact composition
- Fine wire drawing and die care
- Bright annealing
- Testing resistivity and temperature coefficient
Why difficulty 3/5: Small plant, but precise alloy and electrical testing are essential.
§3Market
Who buys
- Electrical measuring instrument makers
- Electronic component and resistor makers
- Electrical goods makers
How it sells
- Direct supply to manufacturers
- Electronic component traders
Good to know
- The profile says few units make this wire and part of demand is met by imports.
- It expects demand to grow wherever a low temperature coefficient of resistance is needed.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Coke-fired pit furnace for No. 16 crucible, with blower | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| Electric pot-type bright annealing furnace, 100 kg, 10 KW, up to 1,100°C | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Heavy-duty wire rolling machine, 6 × 10 in grooved rolls, 7.5 HP | 1 | ₹70,000 |
| Vertical wire drawing machine, 600 mm drum, 6–12 SWG, 15 HP | 1 | ₹80,000 |
| Vertical wire drawing machines, 12–16 SWG | 2 | ₹90,000 |
| Horizontal wire drawing machine, 16–24 SWG, 8 stages | 1 | ₹1,10,000 |
| Horizontal wire drawing machines, 24–32 SWG | 2 | ₹1,35,000 |
| Pointing machine and die polishing machine | 2 | ₹23,000 |
| Testing instruments, moulds and fixtures | 1 lot | ₹60,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Nickel Alloy Wires (2002)
- Nickel ingots680 kg a month at ₹400 a kg in the profile
- Copper ingots865 kg a month at ₹160 a kg in the profile
- Graphite crucibles No. 1620 a month at ₹250 each in the profile
- Hard coke2.5 MT a month at ₹7,000 a MT in the profile
- Fluxes, moulding materials and lubricants
From: DC-MSME project profile — Nickel Alloy Wires (2002)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Engineering and Industrial · Coimbatore →Foundry Accessories · Mumbai →AARPEE Enterprises (Jaya · Nagpur →AIMIL Ltd · Mumbai →Electroll Super Thermal Engineers · Nagpur →Fuel Instruments and Engineers Pvt. Ltd · Kolhapur →Khurana Enterprises · Nagpur →Krystal Elmec · Ichalkaranji →Mahavir Engineering Corporation · Mumbai →Mechachem Industries · Nagpur →Nisha Engineers and Consultants · Turbhe →R.R. Khandelwal Steel and Allied Industries Pvt. Ltd · Nagpur →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- State Pollution Control Board consent (furnace)
- Trade licence from the local body
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
PMEGP fits the project size; CGTMSE for loans without collateral; Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DC-MSME profile (SISI Nagpur, Aug 2002): fixed capital ₹9.09 L (machinery and testing ₹7.63 L, installation ₹0.76 L, furniture ₹0.40 L, pre-operative ₹0.30 L) + working capital for 3 months ₹16.37 L = ₹25.46 L. 2,500 sq ft rented at ₹12,500 a month.
Working capital: Working capital is ₹16.37 L for 3 months; each month needs 680 kg of nickel at ₹400 a kg and 865 kg of copper at ₹160 a kg.
Prices from 2002 — machinery, raw material and wage costs will be much higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: EEPC India
- A 55:45 copper-nickel alloy is classed by its larger metal, copper; wire with more nickel than copper falls under 7505.22 instead. Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or a customs broker.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Nickel and copper price swings
- Cheaper imported wire
- Rejection for out-of-spec resistance
- Melting loss eating into margin
§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 nickel alloy (copper-nickel / eureka) resistance wire 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 Nickel Alloy (Copper-Nickel / Eureka) Resistance Wire?
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.