§1What this business is
Chalk mix is pressed in moulds on a hand-operated press into pieces about 5 mm thick, dried on trays in an electric oven and packed, in white and colours for marking different fabrics. Buyers are tailors, garment units, and haberdashery and tailoring-supply shops.
Capacity: 2,400 gross a year at ₹313 a gross (the profile's capacity row carries a wrong product label).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A home-based or village entrepreneur near a garment or tailoring cluster.
Who it is not for
Someone needing a full family income from day one.
Advantages
- Tiny investment
- Steady use by tailors and garment units
- Simple, quiet process
- Coloured chalks add range
Drawbacks
- Very low price per piece
- Garment units buy in bulk at thin margins
- Many small makers
- Profile gives indicative figures only
Skills you need
- Mixing and moulding
- Oven drying without cracks
- Packing and labelling
- Selling to tailoring-supply shops
Why difficulty 1/5: Very small, simple and low-risk.
§3Market
Who buys
- Tailors
- Garment manufacturing units
- Haberdashery and tailoring-supply shops
How it sells
- Tailoring-supply wholesalers
- Direct supply to garment units
Good to know
- The KVIC profile says the chalks are made in white and in various colours to suit cloth of various colours.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-operated press | — | — |
| Electric oven | — | — |
| Moulds and drying trays | — | — |
| Electrification, installation and office equipment / working table | — | — |
| All equipment together | 1 lot | ₹36,700 |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Tailors' Chalk (PMEGP)
- Chalk raw material (not itemised in the profile)₹3.72 L a year
- Labels and packing material₹15,000 a year
From: KVIC Project Profile — Tailors' Chalk (PMEGP)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST (if turnover crosses the limit)
- Trade licence
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CM YUVAUPActiveUp to ₹5 lakh, interest-free
PMEGP and MUDRA (Shishu) fit; in UP, CM-YUVA covers projects up to ₹5 L.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: equipment ₹36,700 (hand-operated press, electric oven, electrification and installation, moulds and drying trays, office equipment or working table) + working capital ₹1,25,000 = ₹1,61,700. Land own.
Working capital: Working capital ₹1.25 L; raw material ₹3.72 L a year.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§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.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Low margins
- Moisture damage
- Competition
- No year on the profile
§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 tailors' chalk making 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 (if 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 Tailors' Chalk Making 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.