§1What this business is
PF or UP moulding powder is filled into the cavities of a heated mould and pressed in a hydraulic compression press; heat and pressure harden it into a cap. Caps go on bottles and jars for cosmetics, medicines, chemicals, adhesives and toffees. The same press can make other moulded items once you know the demand.
Capacity: 8,50,000 caps a year installed; 5,10,000 caps (60%) planned.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone with moulding experience near cosmetic, pharma or chemical packers.
Who it is not for
Someone without buyers lined up — caps are made to order.
Advantages
- Every bottled cosmetic, medicine and chemical needs a cap
- Small press and low investment
- The same press can mould other items
Drawbacks
- Large injection-moulding plants make caps cheaper in big volumes
- Each cap size needs its own mould
- Buyers want an exact fit and matching colour
Skills you need
- Compression moulding
- Mould care and changeover
- Selling to packers
Why difficulty 2/5: Small, simple press work; the hard part is finding steady buyers.
§3Market
Who buys
- Cosmetics packers
- Pharmaceutical makers
- Chemical and adhesive packers
- Confectionery (toffee) packers
How it sells
- Direct orders from packers
- Packaging material traders
Good to know
- The profile expects demand to grow as more products are packed in attractive plastic containers.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic thermosetting moulding press with ejection and 3 HP motor | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Set of moulds | 1 set | ₹15,000 |
| Hand tools | LS | ₹3,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Bottle Caps (PMRY series)
- Thermosetting moulding powder (PF/UP)250 kg a month — ₹35,250 in the profile; available locally
From: DC-MSME project profile — Bottle Caps (PMRY series)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent where the state requires it for plastic moulding
- Trade licence from the local body
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP, MUDRA (Kishore, ₹50,000–₹5 L) and CGTMSE fit this small project.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Hydraulic thermosetting moulding press with 3 HP motor ₹60,000 + set of moulds ₹15,000 + hand tools, installation, misc. and pre-operative ₹12,000 = fixed ₹87,000; working capital (one month) ₹54,250. Total ₹1,41,250. Premises rented.
Working capital: ₹54,250 a month, of which thermosetting moulding powder (250 kg) ₹35,250 and packing and transport ₹10,500.
Year not printed. This profile is from the old PMRY scheme (replaced by PMEGP in 2008), so all prices are very old — get fresh quotes.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: PLEXCONCIL (Plastics Export Promotion Council)
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Moulding powder price rises
- Losing one big buyer
- Poor fit causing leaks and rejects
§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 plastic bottle caps (compression moulding) 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 Plastic Bottle Caps (Compression Moulding)?
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.