§1What this business is

A design-and-assembly unit. Filter elements, RO membranes, UV lamps and carbon media are bought from makers; housings, tanks and connectors are moulded by subcontractors. The unit winds filter and membrane elements, assembles cartridges and complete purifiers, tests water quality and packs them for distributors.

Capacity: 30,000 water filter systems and sub-systems a year; distributor prices ₹150 to ₹7,000 a filter.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

Someone from the water treatment or appliance trade with a distributor network.

Who it is not for

Someone who cannot organise after-sales service.

Advantages

  • Water quality worries keep demand rising
  • Assembly work — no heavy machines
  • Cartridge and membrane replacement gives repeat sales
  • Can sell under your own brand or make for others

Drawbacks

  • Crowded market with strong brands
  • Service network is expected by buyers
  • Large working capital for components
  • RO water wastage draws criticism and rules

Skills you need

  • Water chemistry and testing
  • Assembly line and quality control
  • Component sourcing
  • Distributor and service network management

Why difficulty 3/5: Simple assembly, but a branded, service-heavy market.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Households
  • Offices, schools and shops
  • Brands that outsource assembly

How it sells

  • Distributors and dealers
  • Appliance shops
  • Online marketplaces

Good to know

  • The profile calls the Indian water purifier market under-penetrated (about 5%).

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Final testing station3₹7,50,000
Assembly line for final products3₹6,00,000
Water testing lab1₹3,00,000
Filter cloth winding / element machine1₹2,50,000
RO membrane winding machine1₹2,50,000
Cartridge assembly station2₹1,20,000
Packing station1₹1,00,000
Assembly inspection station3₹60,000
Tube cutting machine1₹50,000
Pump testing station2₹40,000
Embossing / labelling machine1₹20,000

From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Portable Water Filter (2018) — private guide — confirm locally

  • Filter membranes, RO membranes, UV lamps, activated carbon mediafrom established makers
  • Plastic housings, tanks, tubing and connectorsdesigned in-house and moulded by subcontractors
  • Small booster pumps and float switches
  • RO unit assemblythe profile prices it at ₹90 to ₹300 a unit

From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Portable Water Filter (2018) — private guide — confirm locally

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam registration
  2. GST registration
  3. BIS certification to IS 16240 for RO purifiers — check whether a Quality Control Order applies
  4. EPR registration with CPCB for plastic packaging
  5. IEC code for exports

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP (manufacturing up to ₹50 L), CGTMSE and MUDRA fit; Stand-Up India for eligible founders.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Plant and machinery ₹26.15 L (element winding machines, assembly lines, test stations, water testing lab) + fixtures and electricals ₹1.60 L + preliminary ₹1.00 L + working-capital margin ₹18.62 L = ₹47.37 L. No land or building.

Working capital: Gross working capital ₹41.78 L (stock ₹15.84 L, receivables ₹12.21 L); margin ₹18.62 L, bank ₹23.16 L.

Prices from 2018 — machinery, material and salary figures will be higher now.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export

8421Centrifuges; filtering or purifying machinery and apparatus for liquids or gases

Export council / board: EEPC India (Engineering Export Promotion Council)

  • The profile lists IEC code for export among the approvals.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Price war with big brands
  • Warranty and service costs
  • Component import price changes
  • Changing rules on RO use

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working domestic water purifier (ro/uv) assembly unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

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 Domestic Water Purifier (RO/UV) Assembly?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Portable Water Filter (2018)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.