An industrial unit can be categorised as a small-scale unit if it fulfills the capital investment limit fixed by the Government of India for the small-scale sector.
The Central Government has classified in the case of the enterprises engaged in the manufacture or production of goods, a small enterprise, where the investment in plant and machinery is more than twenty-five lac rupees, but does not exceed five crore rupees; in the case of the enterprises engaged in providing or rendering of services, a small enterprise, where the investment in equipment is more than ten lac rupees, but does not exceed two crore rupees.