Noodles (Chowmein) Making Business
नूडल्स बनाने का व्यवसाय · नूडल्स उद्योग
Make steamed and dried chowmein and hakka noodles from maida on a simple sheeting and cutting machine for Chinese stalls, hotels and shops.
Investment
₹5 lakh
Profit (year 2)
₹36,000/month
Space
700 sq ft
Staff
4 + you
A noodle unit mixes maida with water and salt into a stiff dough, rolls it into a sheet through several roller stages, cuts it into strands, steams the strands and then sells them fresh or dries them for packing. The machines are inexpensive and one line makes hundreds of kilos a day. The main buyers are Chinese food stalls and restaurants, which use noodles every day, along with kirana shops for packed dry noodles. Margin per kilo is modest, so the unit depends on a steady list of stalls and wholesalers. The hard parts are drying in humid weather, fresh noodles spoiling within a day or two, strict hygiene needs, and price pressure from many small makers.
Skills needed: Dough consistency and steaming time, hygiene, and daily selling to stalls and wholesalers.
Profit calculator
Change the numbers to match your town250 kg/day: Dry chowmein / hakka noodles, packed
Total investment
₹4.95 lakh
Your own money
₹49,526
Subsidy
—
Bank loan
₹4.46 lakh
Mudra Kishore
A typical month in year 2
| Sales | ₹3,75,000 |
| Raw material & packing | −₹2,70,625 |
| Electricity | −₹4,550 |
| Salaries | −₹44,100 |
| Rent | −₹10,500 |
| Other running costs | −₹8,925 |
| Operating profit | ₹36,300 |
| Loan instalment (EMI) | −₹10,393 |
| You keep each month | ₹25,907 |
After the loan is repaid, the EMI becomes your income too. Your own salary is not counted as a cost: the profit is your income.
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Turn these numbers into a full project report: cost of project, means of finance, 5-year profit and loss, balance sheet, repayment schedule, DSCR and break-even.
Make my project reportInvestment breakdown
| Machinery & equipment | Price |
|---|---|
| Semi-automatic noodle making machine (sheeting and cutting)3–5 roller stages, 2–3 HP, 100–200 kg/hr as listed | ₹47,600₹18,500–₹90,000 |
| Dough mixer | ₹45,000₹30,000–₹70,000 |
| Chowmein steamer3-stage, stainless steel | ₹17,500 |
| Drying racks, trays and fans | ₹40,000 |
| Band sealer | ₹18,000₹12,000–₹30,000 |
| Weighing scales | ₹9,000₹6,000–₹15,000 |
| Stainless-steel work tables × 2 | ₹20,000₹7,000–₹15,000 |
| Tray dryer for monsoon dryingadd-on | ₹1,50,000₹90,000–₹2.5 lakh |
| Machinery & equipment (without add-ons) | ₹1,97,100 |
| FSSAI, Udyam and other registrations | ₹4,000 |
| Pouch design and printing | ₹15,000 |
| Electricity, gas and water fittings | ₹20,000 |
| Trial production and samples | ₹8,000 |
| Working capital 12 days of raw material, 10 days of credit to buyers, 1 month of expenses | ₹2,51,160 |
| Total project cost | ₹4,95,260 |
Typical market prices as of October 2026, from supplier listings. Prices vary by brand, capacity and city; always get 2–3 quotes.
Cost and margin per unit
| Dry chowmein / hakka noodles, packed (per kg) | ₹ |
|---|---|
| Maida (0.98 kg at ₹34/kg) | 33.30 |
| Salt, starch, oil and permitted colour | 3.00 |
| Pouches and bags | 4.00 |
| Fuel for steaming and drying | 3.00 |
| Material cost | 43.30 |
| Selling price | 60.00 |
| Margin before running costs | 16.70 (28%) |
Bulk rate; one marketplace listing shows a 1 kg hakka noodle pack at ₹60 and dried noodles at ₹85/kg. Check the maida rate in your market: quotes vary widely by region.
Space, power and staff
700 sq ft
Rented shed · rent ≈ ₹10,000/month
Small-town rent. Needs a clean production room, a ventilated drying area and good drainage.
5 kW, single-phase
Bill ≈ ₹7,000/month at full capacity
4 staff + you
- 3 × Machine and steaming workers: ₹10,000
- 1 × Sales and delivery: ₹12,000
Licences and registrations
FSSAI registration / licence
mandatoryWhen: Before you sell · Cost: ₹100/yr for basic registration; state licence ₹2,000–5,000/yr above the turnover limit
Check the current turnover limit for basic registration on foscos.fssai.gov.in. Use only colours and additives permitted for noodles.
Udyam registration
recommendedWhen: Before applying for a loan · Cost: Free
Apply only on udyamregistration.gov.in.
GST registration
if applicableWhen: When turnover crosses the registration limit · Cost: Free
GST on noodles and pasta was changed in the 2025 rate revision. Confirm the current rate with a CA.
Legal Metrology packer registration
if applicableWhen: Before selling pre-packed noodles with MRP · Cost: Varies by state
Local body trade licence
if applicableWhen: Before starting · Cost: Varies by municipality
How it works
- Mix maida, salt and water into a stiff dough.
- Roll into a sheet through the roller stages until thin and even.
- Cut into strands and portion into nests.
- Steam the nests.
- Sell fresh the same day, or dry fully on racks.
- Weigh, pack and seal dry noodles.
Loan route
Mudra loan (Kishore)
Own money ₹49,526 · Loan ₹4.46 lakh · EMI ≈ ₹10,393
No collateral, no subsidy.
How Mudra worksPMEGP (new units)
Subsidy ₹74,289 (general, urban) to ₹1.73 lakh (special category, rural). EMI ≈ ₹8,661–₹6,929.
Own money 5–10%. Subsidy is held as a 3-year deposit, then adjusted against the loan.
How PMEGP worksAssumes 10.5% interest, 5 years including a 6-month moratorium. PMEGP was approved up to FY 2025-26. Check on the KVIC PMEGP portal that applications are open before you plan around the subsidy.
No collateral and no third-party guarantee (covered by the Credit Guarantee Fund for Micro Units).
Who buys and how to sell
Buyers
- Chinese food stalls and vans
- Restaurants, canteens and caterers
- Kirana shops and wholesalers
- Momo and fast-food outlets
Ways to sell
- Daily delivery of fresh noodles to stalls
- Packed dry noodles through wholesalers
- Bulk supply to caterers
Season: Steady all year; street-food sales rise in winter and the monsoon. Drying is slow in the monsoon.
Competition: Many small makers in every city and branded packed noodles in shops. Stalls stay with a maker whose noodles do not break or turn sticky when cooked.
Risks and how to handle them
Fresh noodles spoil or dry noodles grow mould
Sell fresh stock the same day, dry fully before packing and keep the drying area clean and ventilated.
Hygiene complaints or an FSSAI inspection failure
Use food-grade surfaces, clean daily, keep workers' health records and never dry noodles in the open street.
Maida price rises
Review rates with buyers monthly and compare two flour suppliers.
Stall owners delay payment
Collect daily or weekly in cash and stop supply when dues build up.
Tips from the trade
- Fresh noodles for stalls pay daily in cash; dry packs give wider reach but need credit.
- Momo wrappers and spring-roll sheets can be made on the same sheeter.
- Consistent strand thickness matters more to cooks than price.
Questions people ask
Is this the same as instant noodles?
No. Instant noodles are fried or hot-air dried on large automatic lines and sold with seasoning sachets. This profile is for plain chowmein and hakka noodles made on small machines.
Can I sell only fresh noodles and skip drying?
Yes, many units supply only fresh steamed noodles to stalls each morning. It needs no drying space but ties you to daily delivery and nearby buyers.
How much investment is needed to start a noodles (chowmein) making business?
About ₹4.95 lakh for a small unit: ₹1.97 lakh for machinery and equipment, ₹47,000 for set-up costs and ₹2.51 lakh as working capital (stock, credit to buyers and one month of expenses). Prices as of October 2026.
How much profit can a noodles (chowmein) making business make per month?
At 50% of capacity, sales are about ₹3.75 lakh a month and operating profit about ₹36,300 before the loan instalment. After an EMI of about ₹10,393, the owner keeps about ₹25,907 a month until the loan is repaid. These are estimates; your prices, rent and sales decide the real figure.
Which machines are needed for noodles (chowmein) making?
Semi-automatic noodle making machine (sheeting and cutting) (₹18,500–₹90,000); Dough mixer (₹30,000–₹70,000); Chowmein steamer (about ₹17,500); Band sealer (₹12,000–₹30,000).
Can I get a Mudra loan or PMEGP subsidy for noodles (chowmein) making?
With a project cost of about ₹4.95 lakh, the bank loan of about ₹4.46 lakh falls under Mudra Kishore. Mudra has no subsidy. As a new unit you may instead apply under PMEGP, where the subsidy is 15–35% of the project cost (up to about ₹1.73 lakh here for a special-category applicant in a rural area). PMEGP was approved up to FY 2025-26. Check on the KVIC PMEGP portal that applications are open before you plan around the subsidy.
What licences are required for noodles (chowmein) making?
Mandatory: FSSAI registration / licence. Depending on your set-up you may also need: Udyam registration, GST registration, Legal Metrology packer registration, Local body trade licence.
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Prices as of October 2026. Prices here come from online listings and published guides and have not yet been confirmed with local suppliers. Profit figures are estimates from the assumptions above, not a promise of income.
Sources: IndiaMART: noodle machine prices · IndiaMART: Jaymachine Industries noodle making machines · IndiaMART: Rising Industries (noodle machines) · IndiaMART: Samrat Machinery (chowmein steamers) · IndiaMART: hakka noodle prices
Spotted an outdated price? Tell us. Data for this page: HowIndiaEarns.