§1What this business is
You cut leather uppers and linings on a clicker press, thin the edges, stitch the upper, then last it onto a moulded rubber or leather sole and fix studs where needed. The PMEGP report plans 80 pairs a day. Buyers are footwear and sports-goods shops, wholesalers, schools and sports clubs.
Capacity: 80 pairs a day on a 10-hour shift; the report runs at 50% in year 1.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone from a shoe-making cluster (Agra, Meerut, Jalandhar, Kanpur) who knows lasting and stitching.
Who it is not for
Someone with no shoe-trade contacts who expects shops to buy an unknown brand on sight.
Advantages
- Steady demand from schools, clubs and young buyers
- Small machine line — four main machines
- Studded boots for cricket, hockey and football sell across the country
- Can sell under your own brand to local shops
Drawbacks
- Big brands and cheap imports set the price
- Leather and sole prices move often
- Sizes and designs must change with fashion
- Unsold stock in old designs loses value
Skills you need
- Pattern cutting and clicking
- Upper stitching and lasting
- Size grading and quality checks
- Selling to footwear retailers
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple machines, but you compete with big brands on price and design.
§3Market
Who buys
- Footwear and sports-goods shops
- Wholesalers and distributors
- Schools, colleges and sports clubs
How it sells
- Direct supply to retailers
- Wholesale markets in footwear hubs
- Orders from institutions and teams
Good to know
- The report says sports goods making is grouped mainly at Jalandhar and Meerut, with some units in Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Indore.
- It sees demand for hockey, football and cricket boots across the country.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Clicker machine | 1 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Skiving machine | 1 | ₹50,000 |
| Sewing machine | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Lasting machine | 1 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Other tools and equipment | 1 lot | ₹50,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Sports Footwear (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Rubber moulded or leather soles
- Upper leather and insole leather
- Lining and foam
- Studs
- Adhesives, consumables and packing material
From: PMEGP sample project report — Sports Footwear (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Central Footwear Training Institute, Agra · Agra →Central Footwear Training Institute, Chennai · Chennai →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Chandigarh (Banur) campus · Banur →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Rohtak campus · Rohtak →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Noida campus · Noida →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Fursatganj (Raebareli) campus · Fursatganj →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Jodhpur campus · Jodhpur →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Guna campus · Guna →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Patna campus · Bihta →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Ankleshwar campus · Ankleshwar →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Chhindwara campus · Chhindwara →Footwear Design & Development Institute, Kolkata campus · Kolkata →
In our raw material database
Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) →Styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- BIS certification where the footwear Quality Control Order applies to your product
- Trade licence from the local body
- State Pollution Control Board consent (adhesives and solvents)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
PMEGP (the report was made for it), MUDRA up to ₹20 L, CGTMSE for a loan without collateral, Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: PMEGP sample report: plant & machinery ₹9.50 L, furniture & fixtures ₹1.20 L, working capital ₹4.90 L = ₹15.60 L. Premises own or rented, not costed.
Working capital: Working capital ₹4.90 L (bank CC ₹4.41 L) for 15 days of raw material and finished stock and 15 days of credit to buyers.
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: Council for Leather Exports (CLE)
- Shoes with textile or synthetic uppers fall under heading 6404 instead.
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Price pressure from branded and imported shoes
- Leather price swings
- Returns for poor fit or sole failure
- Slow-moving stock
§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 sports footwear 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, 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 Sports Footwear 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.