§1What this business is
Steel wire is fed into an automatic heading machine, which forms the head cold and cuts the piece to length. For wood screws the head is then slotted and shaved, and the thread is cut on a thread cutting machine. Rivets are headed, polished and inspected. The NSIC profile plans screws of 12 mm, 25 mm, 37 mm, 50 mm and 75 mm length. Carpenters, furniture makers and hardware shops use these every day.
Capacity: 9 million pieces a year in lengths of 12 mm, 25 mm, 37 mm, 50 mm and 75 mm.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A person with machine-shop experience who can keep automatic heading machines running and has links with hardware wholesalers.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot set and maintain machines, or who expects high margins on small volumes.
Advantages
- Screws and rivets are needed daily in furniture, building and repair work
- Automatic machines turn out large numbers with few workers
- One raw material: steel wire
- Sizes can be changed to match local demand
Drawbacks
- A low-value item sold on price, with many makers
- Heading dies and cutters wear out and need regular replacement
- The profile gives no sales or profit figures to plan with
Skills you need
- Setting cold heading and slotting machines
- Thread cutting and tool sharpening
- Checking sizes with a micrometer
- Selling to hardware wholesalers
Why difficulty 3/5: The machines are automatic but need a skilled setter, and the product sells on thin margins.
§3Market
Who buys
- Hardware wholesalers and retailers
- Furniture and door makers
- Building contractors and carpenters
- Small fabrication and engineering units (rivets)
How it sells
- Sale through hardware wholesalers in the nearest market town
- Direct supply to furniture factories
- Boxed packs for retail hardware shops
Good to know
- The NSIC profile gives no market or price data.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic double stroke cold heading machine (100 mm, 65 mm, 40 mm, 25 mm) | 1 | — |
| Head slitting machine | 1 | — |
| Automatic head slotting machine | 2 | — |
| Thread cutting machine (named in the process) | — | — |
| Hand tools: spanners, ring spanners, hammer, micrometer | 2 | — |
| Measuring instruments | 1 set | — |
From: NSIC project profile — Wood Screws & Rivets — private guide — confirm locally
- Steel wire of various diametersthe only raw material the profile lists
From: NSIC project profile — Wood Screws & Rivets — private guide — confirm locally
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Factory licence if you employ 10 or more workers
- State Pollution Control Board consent, mainly if you add plating
- BIS certification where a Quality Control Order applies
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
At ₹24.20 lakh for machinery and working capital, the unit can fit PMEGP, whose ceiling is ₹50 lakh of project cost for manufacturing. The profile carries no year, so get current quotations and add the shed cost before you apply. CGTMSE can back a collateral-free loan of up to ₹10 crore.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: NSIC prints one combined figure: machinery and equipment plus working capital for 3 months (raw material, utilities and salary) = ₹24.20 lakh. Land and building are not in this figure, and the profile gives no split between machinery and working capital.
Working capital: The profile counts 3 months of raw material, utilities and salary inside the ₹24.20 lakh; it does not print the working capital amount separately.
Year not printed on the NSIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: EEPC India
- The profile prints no HS code; check the ITC-HS schedule for screws and rivets before exporting.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Steel wire price rises that cannot be passed on
- Cheaper screws from large makers
- Machine breakdowns stopping the whole line
- Rejections for poor threads or weak heads
§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 wood screws and rivets unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration), 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
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Wood Screws and Rivets?
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.