§1What this business is
The matter is designed on a computer (CorelDraw, Photoshop and similar), a film is made and exposed onto an aluminium plate, the plate is fitted on the offset press, and cut paper is fed through. The report puts the press at about 4,000 impressions an hour. Schools, colleges, offices and businesses need stationery, books and printed material all year.
Capacity: 400 booklets a day, 1,20,000 a year at full capacity (10-hour shift, 300 days); year 1 at 50% = 60,000.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A DTP operator or printer with school, office and shop clients in an urban or semi-urban area.
Who it is not for
Someone without design skills or a client base.
Advantages
- Steady work from schools, offices and businesses
- Fine print quality compared with older methods
- No special pollution-control needs, as the report says
- Good DSCR in the report (3.60)
Drawbacks
- Net margin is small (₹2.29 lakh on ₹73.25 lakh sales in year 1)
- Digital printers take short-run jobs
- Paper price swings
- Report figures are inconsistent (₹9.75 vs ₹9.89 lakh cost; ₹35.63 vs ₹73.25 lakh sales)
Skills you need
- DTP and design software
- Plate making and press operation
- Job costing and quoting
- Client servicing
Why difficulty 3/5: Skilled trade with steady demand, but thin margins and digital competition.
§3Market
Who buys
- Schools and colleges
- Offices and businesses
- Publishers and event organisers (magazines, souvenirs)
How it sells
- Direct job orders
- Sub-contract work from DTP and stationery shops
Good to know
- The report sees very good scope in urban and semi-urban areas as schools, colleges and offices grow.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Offset printing press (about 4,000 impressions an hour) | 1 | — |
| Paper cutting machine | 1 | — |
| Computer with design software, camera and plate exposer | 1 set | — |
| Plant & machinery total in the report | 1 set | ₹6.50 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Offset Printing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Paper and card sheetsraw material ₹49.81 lakh in year 1
- Printing ink
- Aluminium PS plates, film and developer chemicalsfor plate making
- Gum and binding material
From: PMEGP sample project report — Offset Printing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Batik And Block Printing Cluster · Ujjain →Hand Block Print Cluster · Farrukhabad →Weaving, Printing And Jewelry Cluster · Ahmedabad →Printing & Packaging Cluster · Karnal →Printing Cluster, Chamarajpet · Chamarajpet →Offset Printers Cluster · Kannur →Printing Cluster · Krishnagiri →Printing Cluster, Sivakasi · Sivakasi →Print and Pack Products Cluster, Hosur · Hosur →Printing Cluster, Kakinada · Kakinada →Printing Cluster · Tirupati →Printing Cluster, Chikalthana, Aurangabad · Aurangabad →
In our raw material database
Duplex and coated paperboard →Labels and self-adhesive materials →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Trade licence from the local body
- Online intimation of the printing press under the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP (the report shows KVIC margin money: urban 15% general / 25% special, rural 25% / 35%), MUDRA and CGTMSE.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Min = ₹9.75 lakh printed on the report's summary page. Max = its cost table: plant & machinery ₹6.50 lakh + furniture ₹0.45 lakh + working capital ₹2.94 lakh = ₹9.89 lakh (finance: term loan ₹6.26 lakh, working capital ₹2.65 lakh, own ₹0.99 lakh). Premises rented or owned.
Working capital: Working capital ₹2.94 lakh (bank ₹2.65 lakh) — 15 days of consumables in stock.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: CAPEXIL
- 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
- Late payment by clients
- Shift to digital media
- Machine breakdown in peak season
- Paper wastage
§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 offset printing unit 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 registration), 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 Offset Printing Unit?
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.