§1What this business is
Rubber is mixed with other ingredients on a two-roll mill, rolled into sheets and cut to the size of the mat. The rubber sheet and the coir mat are placed in a heated mould and pressed in a hydraulic press, then cooled and trimmed. The result is a coir mat with a rubber back that does not slip. Both reports assume 400 mats a day in two shifts.
Capacity: 400 mats a day (45 cm × 75 cm) in 2 shifts, 300 days — 2,40,000 mats a year in the Coir Board profile; the Samadhan report counts 200 mats a shift, 1,20,000 a year.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone near a coir-producing area who can sell to mat dealers, hotels and exporters.
Who it is not for
Someone without a buyer network — volumes are large and margins small.
Advantages
- Rubber backing makes coir mats non-slip, which buyers want
- Simple process: mix, sheet, press, trim
- Both reports show break-even well below full capacity
- Coir Board support and schemes exist for coir units
Drawbacks
- Margin per mat is thin — raw material is about 80% of the price
- Needs a large power load (35–70 HP)
- Depends on a steady supply of coir matting and rubber
- Selling 1–2 lakh mats a year needs a wide dealer network
Skills you need
- Rubber compounding and curing
- Press and mould handling
- Buying coir matting at the right price
- Selling to dealers and exporters
Why difficulty 3/5: The process is simple, but power load, rubber compounding and high-volume selling take effort.
§3Market
Who buys
- Homes, offices and hotels (door and floor mats)
- Furniture and upholstery makers (rubberised coir)
- Coir product exporters
How it sells
- Mat and furnishing dealers
- Supply to coir exporters
- Direct orders from institutions
Good to know
- The Samadhan report says growth of the furniture industry and the high cost of foam rubber drive demand for rubberised coir.
- Rubber-backed coir is used widely as a flooring material.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing mill (14" × 36"), 40 HP | 1 | — |
| Hydraulic press (36" × 36"), 15 HP | 1 | — |
| Moulds (as required) | as required | — |
| Water pump (for cooling) | 1 | — |
| Coir sheet machine | 1 | ₹5,50,000 |
| Coir rope untwisting machine | 1 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Hydraulic press | 2 | ₹2,00,000 (₹1,00,000 each) |
| Water tanks | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Ball mill, vulcanising chamber, band-saw cutting machine and other equipment | 1 lot | ₹4,50,000 |
From: Coir Board Project Profile — Rubber Moulded Coir Unit (PMEGP) (2018) · PMEGP sample project report — Rubber Moulded Coir Matting (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Coir matting / matscut to mat size; included in the raw-material cost of ₹115 a mat
- Natural, synthetic or reclaimed rubber and compounding ingredientsmixed on a two-roll mill and left to mature overnight
- Mould-release agentsprayed on the heated mould before pressing
From: Coir Board Project Profile — Rubber Moulded Coir Unit (PMEGP) (2018)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- Pollution control board consent (rubber processing)
- Factory licence if the worker count needs it
- Registration with the Coir Board (useful for its schemes)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
Both reports were written for PMEGP; CGTMSE covers collateral-free loans; MUDRA fits a smaller start.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Coir Board profile (June 2018): machinery ₹20.74 L (mixing mill, hydraulic press, moulds, water pump) + working capital ₹4.26 L = ₹25.00 L; land and shed leased or owned. Samadhan report: plant & machinery ₹15.60 L, furniture ₹0.52 L, working capital ₹8.88 L = ₹25.00 L; building own.
Working capital: Coir Board profile: working capital ₹4.26 L (bank WC loan ₹4.05 L). Samadhan report: working capital ₹8.88 L (finance ₹7.99 L) for 10 days of raw material and 15 days of finished goods.
Prices from 2018 — machinery costs will be higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: Coir Board
- 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
- Rubber price swings
- Thin margin per mat
- Unsold stock
- Power cuts stop the press
§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 rubber-backed coir mats unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam, 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 Rubber-Backed Coir Mats?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
- Coir Board Project Profile — Rubber Moulded Coir Unit (PMEGP) (2018)
- PMEGP sample project report — Rubber Moulded Coir Matting (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.