§1What this business is
One automatic machine feeds rolls of non-woven and melt-blown fabric, folds and presses them, inserts the nose wire, shapes and cuts the mask body; a conveyor carries each body to ear-loop welding machines, and one operator can run the line. The profile links one body machine to three ear-loop welders and follows BIS IS 16289:2014 for medical-textile surgical face masks.
Capacity: 64,80,000 three-ply disposable masks a year at 75% use, sold at ₹10 each — ₹6.48 crore.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A medical-supplies trader or manufacturer with hospital and distributor contacts.
Who it is not for
Someone relying on 2020 prices — a fall in mask prices removes most of the profit.
Advantages
- Hospitals, clinics and the public use masks every day
- Highly automatic — one operator per line
- Small team of 8 people
- Can add other non-woven medical disposables later
Drawbacks
- Profit depends heavily on the selling price, which was set in a crisis year
- Melt-blown fabric supply and price can swing
- Large working capital for fabric
- Many machines bought in 2020 compete for the same buyers
Skills you need
- Machine setting and maintenance
- Filtration and quality testing to IS 16289
- Sourcing melt-blown fabric
- Selling to hospitals, pharmacies and tenders
Why difficulty 3/5: Automatic machines make production easy; price, regulation and selling decide success.
§3Market
Who buys
- Hospitals, clinics and operation theatres
- Pharmacies and the general public
- Industries such as electronics and food processing (profile)
How it sells
- Independent and hospital pharmacies (profile)
- Online sales and retail stores (profile)
- Hospital and government tenders
Good to know
- The profile ties demand to hospital-acquired infections, an ageing population and outbreaks of airborne disease.
- Raw material is about 90% of the monthly running cost in the profile.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic 3-layer non-woven mask body making machine | 1 | ₹24,19,000 |
| Automatic face-mask ear-loop welding machine | 3 | ₹65,49,000 (₹21,83,000 each) |
| Electrification, control panels, cabling and transformer | 1 | ₹5,00,000 |
From: MSME-DI Hyderabad project profile — Surgical and Medical Face Mask (2020)
- PP non-woven fabric5,500 kg a month at ₹140 a kg
- Melt-blown non-woven fabric2,750 kg a month at ₹180 a kg
- Ear loops2,70,000 m a month at ₹2 a metre
- Nose clips5,40,000 a month at ₹2 each
- Packaging material₹3,00,000 a month
From: MSME-DI Hyderabad project profile — Surgical and Medical Face Mask (2020)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Eco techfab Private Limited · Kishangarh →Ginni Spectra Pvt. Ltd · Jaipur →Khandhala Enterprise · Ahmedabad →KP TECH MACHINE (INDIA) PVT.LTD · Ahmedabad →Park Non Woven Pvt. Ltd · Gurugram →Rajshree Fabrics · Rampur →SK Machines · Coimbatore →Sri Sastha Engineering · Coimbatore →Sujeeth Industries · Telangana →Wellfull Intertrade Private Limited · Thane →
§5Licences & registration
- Medical device licence or registration under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 (CDSCO / State licensing authority)
- BIS IS 16289 test reports that hospital buyers ask for
- Udyam
- GST
- Pollution board consent if your state asks for it
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
CGTMSE and Stand-Up India fit. At ₹2.04 crore the project is far above PMEGP's ₹50 L limit.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹96.18 L (3-layer mask body machine ₹24.19 L; 3 ear-loop welding machines ₹65.49 L; electrification, panels, cabling and transformer ₹5 L; office equipment ₹1 L; furniture ₹50,000) + working capital for 3 months ₹1.07 crore + pre-operative ₹1 L = ₹2.04 crore (₹2,03,78,132.50). Building rented.
Working capital: Monthly running cost ₹35.53 L, of which raw material is ₹31.85 L (PP non-woven, melt-blown fabric, ear loops, nose clips, packing). Three months are kept: ₹1.07 crore.
Prepared June 2020, during the Covid-19 rush, at ₹10 a mask — check today's selling price and machine prices before relying on it.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: DGFT (IEC needed)
- Mask exports were restricted for a time in 2020; check the current DGFT export policy before any contract.
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Price collapse after demand falls
- Fabric shortages
- Failing filtration or breathability tests
- Medical-device rule changes
§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 3-ply surgical face mask (automatic line) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Medical device licence or registration under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 (CDSCO / State licensing authority), BIS IS 16289 test reports that hospital buyers ask for), 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 3-Ply Surgical Face Mask (Automatic Line)?
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.