§1What this business is
Iron tubes or rods are cut and bent with hand tools and joined by gas welding, rivets and nails into chair frames. Coloured plastic cane is then woven onto the frame and the frame is painted. Plastic cane replaces costly natural cane, so these chairs sell to homes, offices and institutions in every district town.
Capacity: 4,200 chairs a year installed; the profile plans 2,940 chairs a year.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A welder or furniture worker in a small town.
Who it is not for
Someone who wants a factory-scale business.
Advantages
- Tiny investment
- Simple skills — welding and weaving
- Homes, shops and offices all need chairs
Drawbacks
- Moulded plastic chairs are cheaper and lighter
- Low price per chair
- Iron frames rust if not painted well
Skills you need
- Gas welding and frame bending
- Weaving cane patterns
- Painting and finishing
Why difficulty 1/5: Basic welding and weaving with little money at risk.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Offices and government departments
- Schools and institutions
- Shops and hotels
How it sells
- Furniture shops in district towns
- Direct orders from institutions
Good to know
- The profile treats every district growth centre as a market.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Gas welding machine with all accessories | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Hand tools | LS | ₹3,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Plastic Cane Chairs (PMRY series)
- Plastic cane in various colours50 kg a month — ₹2,500 in the profile
- Iron tubes or rods1 tonne a month — ₹6,250 in the profile
- Iron rivets and nails₹1,000 a month
- Paints and varnishes₹500 a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Plastic Cane Chairs (PMRY series)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration once turnover crosses the limit
- Trade licence from the local body
§6Schemes & subsidies
PMEGP and MUDRA (Kishore, ₹50,000–₹5 L) fit this very small project.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Gas welding set with accessories ₹10,000 + hand tools ₹3,000 + misc. fixed assets ₹6,000 = fixed ₹19,000; working capital for 3 months ₹50,100. Total ₹69,100. Premises rented.
Working capital: ₹16,700 a month: iron tubes/rods 1 tonne ₹6,250, plastic cane 50 kg ₹2,500, rivets, nails and paint ₹1,500, wages ₹3,750, rent ₹2,000.
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
- 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
- Steel price increases
- Competition from moulded chairs
- Low selling price
§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 cane (wire) chairs 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 once turnover crosses the limit), 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 Cane (Wire) Chairs?
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.