This is a buying list for six skill sectors, split into what you buy once and what you restock every year. It's based on CBSE's suggested tool lists, which are sized for a class of 40 (Guidelines for setting up Composite Skill Lab in Schools, Annexure 1, pp.42–63). For everything else CBSE requires, see our Composite Skill Lab requirements guide.
Download the printable equipment list (PDF), with tick boxes and space for quantities.
Which sectors should we buy for?
Only the ones you'll teach. CBSE calls its lists "suggestive and may be adopted based on school's readiness and requirements" (Skill-13/2026). It recommends at least three skill subjects covering three "forms of work": working with living things, with machines and materials, and with people (Guidelines p.10). So you need at least one sector from each group.
| Sector | Form of work | Main equipment | Cretile estimate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Living things | Garden tools, drip irrigation unit, hydroponic tray, soil test kit | approx. ₹35,000–40,000 |
| Food Production | Living things | Stove, pressure cooker, mixer-grinder, kitchen balance, utensils | approx. ₹40,000–45,000 |
| Electronics & Mechatronics | Machines and materials | Microcontroller boards, sensors, motors, soldering kits, multimeters | approx. ₹65,000–70,000 |
| IT/ITeS (IT and IT-enabled services) | Machines and materials | Your existing computer lab | No new equipment |
| Healthcare | People | BP monitor, glucometer, pulse oximeter, CPR mannequin | approx. ₹35,000–40,000 |
| Retail | People | Barcode scanner, billing software, receipt printer, display racks | approx. ₹70,000–75,000 |
*Estimates for equipment, consumables and curriculum, including GST, before shipping. They don't include furniture, storage, computers or building and electrical work.
Is this the Composite Science Lab list?
No. Many "composite lab equipment lists" online, with microscopes, test tubes and beakers, are for a Composite Science Lab: the science lab CBSE checks for affiliation. The Composite Skill Lab is a separate lab for skill subjects, with its own tool lists. Those are the lists below.
Agriculture: what to buy and restock
| Used for | Buy once | Restock every year |
|---|---|---|
| Planting and gardening | Hand hoes, hand rakes, trowels, shovel/spade, sickle, weeding hook (khurpi), secateurs, scissors, pots and plastic pans, watering cans | Seeds (e.g. maize, spinach), nursery bags, cocopeat, gardening gloves |
| Irrigation and hydroponics | Drip irrigation unit (main pipe, feeder line, emitters, connectors), hydroponic tray, bucket | PVC pipe |
| Grafting and propagation | Budding/grafting knives | Grafting tape, rooting hormone |
| Compost and fertiliser | – | Organic compost, vermicompost, black jaggery (for organic fertiliser), rice bran, gunny bags |
| Measuring and testing | Soil test kit, air thermometer and hygrometer, weighing scale, measuring tape, beaker | – |
| Plant protection | Spray pumps | – |
| Safety and labelling | – | Masks, markers, first-aid kit refills |
Where it's taught: the garden or a terrace is fine, but CBSE says the tools must be kept in the Composite Skill Lab (Guidelines p.41). Keep fertilisers in a lockable, ventilated cabinet, and sharp tools on pegboards with safety locks (p.39). CBSE also lists an "advanced tools" set for higher classes (p.45).
Food Production: what to buy and restock
| Used for | Buy once | Restock every year |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking | Single-burner stove (ISI), gas lighter, pressure cooker, frying pan, mixer-grinder (ISI) | – |
| Preparation | Knives, grater, peeler, chikki slicer, whisk, sieves, polpat and belan, cooking spoons, tongs, pot lifter | Food ingredients (bought for each session) |
| Measuring | Digital kitchen balance, measuring cups and spoons | – |
| Storage and serving | Containers (glass, food-grade plastic, steel), plates and bowls | Aluminium foil |
| Hygiene and cleaning | Bucket, dustbin, dust pan | Cloth aprons, head caps, plastic gloves, dish towels |
| Safety | – | First-aid kit refills (including burn cream) |
Safety: gas fittings must meet the required norms and standards (Guidelines p.33). Use heat-proof surfaces, keep plugs away from the sink, and keep a fire extinguisher and sand buckets nearby (pp.35, 39). An oven is optional on CBSE's list, and a home science lab can be used for food sessions (p.41).
Electronics & Mechatronics: what to buy and restock
| Used for | Buy once | Restock every year |
|---|---|---|
| Programming and control | Microcontroller boards (small programmable boards, Arduino UNO-compatible) with expansion shields, ESP32 board (Wi-Fi, for internet-connected projects), breadboards | – |
| Sensing | Sensors: temperature/humidity, infrared obstacle, ultrasonic distance, motion (PIR), gas, soil moisture | – |
| Movement and output | DC motors, servo motors, water pump, relay modules, displays (OLED/LCD, 7-segment), buzzers and lights | – |
| Circuits | – | Jumper wires (M–M, M–F, F–F), LEDs, resistor kit, capacitors, diodes, transistors, potentiometers, toggle switches, berg strips, solderable circuit boards, hook-up wire, coin cells |
| Soldering and testing | Digital multimeters, voltage tester pen, soldering iron and stand, desoldering pump, helping hands | Solder wire, flux, desoldering wick |
| Building models | Construction kit for robots and models, hand-tool set, wire strippers, long-nose pliers, screwdriver sets, hand saw, hot glue gun | Cardboard, chart paper, sandpaper, copper tape |
| Safety | – | Safety masks |
★ Not on CBSE's list, but needed: battery packs and clips, ready-made connecting cables and USB chargers. Without them, students can't finish working projects. More in our Electronics & Mechatronics lab guide.
IT/ITeS: what equipment is needed?
None new, if your computer lab qualifies. CBSE allows the existing computer lab if it has at least 20 working computers (Core i3 11th gen or equivalent, 8 GB RAM, SSD, UPS, headphones with mic) (Guidelines p.57). The curriculum moves from Scratch programming to web design (HTML, CSS) to Python.
Healthcare: what to buy and restock
| Used for | Buy once | Restock every year |
|---|---|---|
| Checking vital signs | Digital BP monitor, digital thermometers, pulse oximeter, glucometer | Glucometer strips and lancets |
| Body measurement | Wall-mounted height scale (stature meter), weighing scale | – |
| Examination and first aid | CPR mannequin, reflex hammer, hot water bag, scissors, towels | Cotton, first-aid kit refills, syringes (for demonstration) |
| Infection control | Biomedical waste and sharps disposal containers (p.39) | Disposable protective gowns (PPE kits), gloves, hand sanitiser, soap and handwash, disinfectant, trash bags |
| Records and charts | Posters: WHO handwashing steps, biomedical waste categories, BMI, blood sugar ranges, blood oxygen (SpO₂), BP interpretation, eye chart | Patient record sheets |
CBSE's list includes one mercury thermometer alongside two digital ones (p.59). We suggest digital only: mercury is hazardous if a thermometer breaks.
Retail: what to buy and restock
| Used for | Buy once | Restock every year |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Handheld barcode scanner, billing (POS, point-of-sale) software with GST billing on a laptop or desktop, thermal receipt printer | – |
| Store display | Double-sided display racks (gondolas), storage shelves, signage boards, promotional display stand, dummy product packaging (about 50) | – |
| Weighing | Digital weighing machine (5–30 kg) | – |
| Store security | CCTV demo camera | – |
The billing software needs a computer, which isn't part of the sector kit.
What does the whole lab need besides sector equipment?
Furniture, storage and safety items for the whole room: work tables, stools, lockable cupboards, tool pegboards, a fire extinguisher, sand buckets and more. CBSE gives sizes for each (Guidelines pp.20–27, 35). We've listed them in our requirements guide. Cretile doesn't supply furniture or storage, so budget for them separately.
Which sectors aren't covered here?
CBSE's guidelines also have tool lists for apparel, automotive, carpentry/woodwork, beauty & wellness, and animation, VFX, gaming & comics (AVGC) and media. Banking, finance & insurance (BFSI) and tourism & hospitality need no special tools (pp.28–32). Cretile doesn't supply these sectors.
How can Cretile help?
We supply the tools, kits and consumables for the six sectors above, plus a 3-level curriculum for each sector and teacher training. Our Agriculture and Electronics kits closely follow CBSE's lists. Since 2016 we've worked with 5,000+ schools and Atal Tinkering Labs. We don't supply furniture, storage, computers or building and electrical work yet.
Want this list sized to your school? Tell us your sectors and class sizes. We'll connect you with the Cretile partner nearest you. → Request a lab plan
FAQ
Is there an official CBSE equipment list for the Composite Skill Lab? Yes. It's in CBSE's guidelines booklet, organised by sector. CBSE calls it "suggestive", so schools adapt it to the skill subjects they offer.
Is there a PDF of the equipment list? Yes. Download our printable equipment list. It covers the six sectors above, with tick boxes and space for quantities.
Is the Composite Skill Lab the same as the Composite Science Lab? No. The Composite Science Lab is a science lab (microscopes, test tubes, beakers). The Composite Skill Lab is for skill subjects like agriculture, electronics and healthcare, and has its own tool lists.
Do we need equipment for every sector? No. Equip the sectors you teach. See choosing sectors.
How many sets of each tool do we need? CBSE's lists are sized for a class of 40. Shared tools are mostly in sets of 2–4, so students work in small groups. Personal items such as gloves, aprons and caps should be one per student in a session.
What will we need to restock every year? Mainly seeds and compost, food ingredients, gloves, caps and aprons, electronic parts such as LEDs and jumper wires, and healthcare items such as glucometer strips, lancets and PPE. The "Restock every year" column in each table lists them all.