§1What this business is
Alcohol is pumped into a stainless-steel tank with an agitator, then de-ionised water and the other ingredients are added in the chemist's sequence. After a lab check the batch goes to a filling line: cans are cleaned, filled, fitted with a valve, crimped and pressurised, leak-tested in a hot-water bath, dried, capped, labelled and boxed. Homes, hotels, hospitals, malls, gyms and offices use it.
Capacity: Installed capacity not printed in units; sales ₹75.69 L in year 1 at 50% capacity use, rising to ₹132.74 L in year 5 at 70%. The filling machine handles 500–1,500 bottles an hour.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone selling housekeeping or hygiene supplies to hotels, hospitals and offices.
Who it is not for
Someone who wants to compete in supermarkets from day one without a distribution budget.
Advantages
- Used in homes and in every hotel, hospital, mall and office
- One line can fill many fragrances and sizes
- Institutional buyers (hotels, facility managers) reorder regularly
- Can also fill for other brands
Drawbacks
- Flammable alcohols and propellant need fire safety
- Big FMCG brands dominate retail
- Gross margin around 19–23% only
- Packaging (cans, bottles, nozzles) is a large share of cost
Skills you need
- Fragrance formulation
- Filling-line operation and leak testing
- Institutional sales
- Regulatory paperwork and labelling
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple blending, but flammable materials and a brand-led market.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Hotels and restaurants
- Hospitals and medical facilities
- Malls, gyms, offices and auto showrooms
How it sells
- Housekeeping and hygiene suppliers
- FMCG distributors and retail
- Direct institutional supply
Good to know
- The report says sprays are the most common type among fan, gel, diffuser and solid fresheners.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless-steel mixing tanks with PLC-controlled agitator | — | — |
| Aerosol/bottle filling machine (30–250 ml, 500–1,500 bottles an hour) | — | — |
| Industrial demineralised water plant | — | — |
| Hot-water bath for leak testing | — | — |
| High-pressure air blowers for drying | — | — |
| All plant and machinery (total) | — | ₹14.50 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Air Freshener Manufacturing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- De-ionised waterbase
- Isopropyl, ethyl or methyl alcoholsolvent; flammable
- Surfactant (e.g. nonylphenol ethoxylate), fragrance and coloursformulation
- Preservative (sodium benzoate), anti-microbial agents and anti-oxidantsformulation
- Spray bottles or cans, nozzles and capspackaging
From: PMEGP sample project report — Air Freshener Manufacturing Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Kanoi chemicals · Ahmedabad →Maneklal & Sons · Kolkata →Synthchem · Mumbai →Threebee Petrochem Industries(P)Ltd · Mumbai →
§5Licences & registration
- BIS registration (listed in the report)
- Trade licence
- Udyam
- GST
- Pollution Control Board NOC
- Fire NOC (flammable materials)
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
§6Schemes & subsidies
PMEGP sample project at ₹21.56 L; CGTMSE can cover the collateral-free loan.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant & machinery ₹14.50 L + furniture ₹0.50 L + other misc assets ₹1.00 L + working capital ₹5.56 L = ₹21.56 L. Land and building rented (not in cost). Finance: own ₹2.16 L, term loan ₹14.40 L, working capital loan ₹5.00 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹5.56 L, of which ₹5.00 L is a bank working capital loan.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: CHEMEXCIL
- The report prints no HS code; confirm the ITC(HS) line with DGFT before exporting.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Fire risk from alcohol and propellant
- Fragrance and packaging cost rises
- Brand competition
- Labelling and safety non-compliance
§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 air freshener spray unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (BIS registration (listed in the report), Trade licence), 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
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 Air Freshener Spray?
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.