§1What this business is

Rolls of non-woven polypropylene fabric go through an automatic bag-making machine that cuts them to size; a handle-sealing machine fixes the handles and a printing machine adds the shop's name or logo. Most of the work is done by machines, so few workers are needed. Buyers are shops, retail chains, and firms that want printed bags for promotion.

Capacity: 12×16 inch, 52 GSM bags: 4,800 pieces (72 kg) an hour, 48,000 pieces (720 kg) a day; 2,16,000 kg of bags a year at full capacity. Year 1 at 55% = 1,18,800 kg.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A trader in packaging or printing who already sells to shops and can keep the machines busy.

Who it is not for

Someone without orders in hand — idle machines and thin margins mean losses.

Advantages

  • Machines do most of the work; few workers needed
  • Shops and brands need printed bags all year
  • Bags can be customised in size, colour and print
  • Fabric rolls are easy to buy

Drawbacks

  • Very thin margin: raw material is ₹142.56 lakh of ₹158.48 lakh year-1 sales
  • Machinery is costly (₹18.34 lakh)
  • Plastic-bag rules change and some states ban carry bags
  • Many competitors; buyers bargain hard

Skills you need

  • Machine setting and fabric GSM checks
  • Screen or flexo printing
  • Fabric buying at the right price
  • Selling to shops and corporate buyers

Why difficulty 3/5: Simple to run, but costly machines, thin margins and changing plastic rules.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Shops, supermarkets and retail chains
  • Garment, gift and jewellery shops
  • Companies and events wanting printed promotional bags

How it sells

  • Direct orders with printed logo
  • Packaging wholesalers
  • Plain bags sold to traders who get them printed

Good to know

  • The report says India's non-woven market grows 8–10% a year and production is about 1,90,000 tonnes, of which spun-bond is about 83,000 tonnes.
  • Bags can be sold plain or printed; printing adds value.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Non-woven bag making machine (cuts fabric to size)1—
Auto handle sealing machine (hydraulic)1—
Printing machine and printing roller1—
Plant & machinery total in the report1 set₹18.34 lakh

From: PMEGP sample project report — Non Woven Bag (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Non-woven fabric rollswith ink and stitching thread, ₹120 a kg in year 1 (₹142.56 lakh)
  • Printing inkfor names and logos on the bags
  • Handle material and stitching threadhandles of non-woven or polyester

From: PMEGP sample project report — Non Woven Bag (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

In our raw material database

Polypropylene (PP) →Polyester staple fibre (PSF) →Viscose staple fibre (VSF) →

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration
  3. Trade or factory licence from the municipal authority
  4. Registration with the State Pollution Control Board as a plastic carry-bag maker (Plastic Waste Management Rules)
  5. Fire NOC as required; trademark for your brand (optional)

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP (the report shows KVIC margin money), CGTMSE for the collateral-free loan, and Stand-Up India for SC/ST and women founders (loans ₹10 lakh–₹1 crore).

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Report cost of project: building & civil work ₹2.00 lakh + plant & machinery ₹18.34 lakh + furniture ₹1.00 lakh + working capital ₹3.33 lakh = ₹24.67 lakh. Finance: term loan ₹19.21 lakh, working-capital loan ₹3.00 lakh, own ₹2.47 lakh.

Working capital: Working capital ₹3.33 lakh in the project cost; the projections carry a ₹5.00 lakh working-capital limit and 10 days of raw-material and finished stock.

Year not printed on the report — 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

6305.39Sacks and bags for packing goods, of man-made textile materials — other

Export council / board: Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC)

  • HS codes are from the WCO HS 2022 list; 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

  • The report's 52 GSM bag is below the 60 GSM minimum for non-woven plastic carry bags under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021 — check the rule before buying machines
  • State bans on plastic carry bags
  • Fabric (polypropylene) price swings
  • Credit given to buyers

§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 non-woven bag making unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST 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 Non-Woven Bag Making?

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

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. PMEGP sample project report — Non Woven Bag (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

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