§1What this business is
Rolls of breathable base material (micropore paper or cotton) run through one adhesive tape machine with unwinding, tensioning, coating, drying, rewinding and slitting stations. The finished tapes hold dressings on skin. Buyers are hospitals, clinics, chemists and medical distributors.
Capacity: 200 boxes of 6 rolls a day, 60,000 boxes a year; 50% in year 1 rising to 70%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A medical distributor who wants to make an own-brand product.
Who it is not for
Someone without medical-trade contacts.
Advantages
- Smaller investment than plaster making
- One machine line does all steps
- Used daily in every hospital
- Low labour need
Drawbacks
- Bought-in base rolls (the report uses 3M micropore paper) set the cost
- Drug licence and quality rules apply
- DSCR under 2 leaves little cushion
- Big brands dominate
Skills you need
- Coating machine operation
- Adhesion and skin-safety testing
- Drug-licence compliance
- Hospital and distributor sales
Why difficulty 3/5: One machine line, but drug-licence rules and a thin early margin.
§3Market
Who buys
- Hospitals and nursing homes
- Clinics
- Chemists
How it sells
- Medical distributors
- Government tenders and GeM
- Online pharmacies
Good to know
- The report says medical and health facilities grew about 12% a year over the four years before it was written.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Roll winding machine | 1 | ₹4,65,000 |
| Slitting tape machine | 1 | ₹3,50,000 |
| Roll unwinder | 1 | ₹2,90,000 |
| Roll tensioning machine | 1 | ₹1,80,000 |
| Drying machine | 1 | ₹1,45,000 |
| Coating machine | 1 | ₹65,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Surgical Adhesive Tape (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- 3M micropore paper rolls (or cotton base tape)7,500 rolls a year at ₹400 = ₹30 L at full capacity
- Zinc-oxide based adhesive₹2.50 L a year (lump sum)
From: PMEGP sample project report — Surgical Adhesive Tape (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- Manufacturing licence from the State Drugs Controller (Drugs and Cosmetics Act / Medical Devices Rules)
- Trademark for your brand
§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 collateral-free loan, Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: PMEGP sample report: plant & machinery ₹14.95 L, furniture ₹1.00 L, working capital ₹5.55 L = ₹21.50 L. Shed 1,200 sq ft own or rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹5.55 L (bank ₹5.00 L): 30 days of raw material, 7 days of finished 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: Pharmexcil
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Base-roll price or supply
- Quality complaints (skin rash, weak hold)
- Thin early margins
- Tender price pressure
§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 surgical adhesive tape 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 Surgical Adhesive Tape 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.