§1What this business is
Raw water passes through two resin-filled columns that remove salts, giving demineralised water; it is tested, filled into cans and bottles and shrink-sealed. Buyers are battery shops, garages, vehicle owners and small laboratories.
Capacity: KVIC: 250 KL a year. Samadhan: 2,000 litres a day, 6 lakh litres a year (plant 250 litres an hour).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone in a small town with links to battery dealers, garages and labs.
Who it is not for
Someone expecting a high-value product.
Advantages
- Very simple process and small machine cost
- Steady demand from battery shops and garages
- Low power use
- Can be started in a small town
Drawbacks
- Easy to copy, so many local competitors
- Low price per litre; volume is needed
- Inverter and sealed batteries reduce top-up demand
- Cans and packing are most of the cost
Skills you need
- Resin plant operation and regeneration
- Water-quality testing (pH, hardness)
- Dealer network
- Stock and can management
Why difficulty 1/5: Simple plant and low cost; the work is mainly selling.
§3Market
Who buys
- Battery dealers and service shops
- Garages and vehicle owners
- Small laboratories
How it sells
- Direct supply to battery shops
- Auto-parts wholesalers
Good to know
- The Samadhan report sizes the unit for a 30 km semi-urban area with about 2,000 four-wheelers.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Resin-based DM plant, 250 litres/hour, with accessories | 1 | ₹2.00 lakh |
| Bore well | — | ₹1.00 lakh |
| Plastic storage drums | — | ₹5,000 |
| Hot-air blower for shrink packing | — | ₹10,000 |
| Quality-control equipment (pH meter, hardness kit) | — | ₹20,000 |
| Tools and filling machine | — | ₹50,000 |
| Full equipment set (KVIC profile) | — | ₹2.25 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Battery Water (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan) · KVIC Project Profile — Battery Water (PMEGP)
- Ground or municipal waterfrom open well, bore well or corporation supply
- Ion-exchange resinregenerated periodically
- Plastic cans (5 L, 2.5 L) and labels₹20 a litre for cans, resin and label in the Samadhan report
From: PMEGP sample project report — Battery Water (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- BIS standard IS 1069 (named in the report)
- Groundwater/borewell permission where the state requires it
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
Both reports are PMEGP profiles; MUDRA and CGTMSE can cover the loan.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile ₹4.70 L (equipment ₹2.25 L, working capital ₹2.45 L; land own). Samadhan report ₹13.50 L (building 2,000 sq ft ₹3.00 L, machinery ₹3.85 L, furniture ₹0.61 L, pre-operative ₹0.28 L, working capital ₹5.76 L).
Working capital: KVIC ₹2.45 L; Samadhan ₹5.76 L (bank ₹5.18 L) — mostly cans, labels and resin.
Year not printed on either report — check current equipment prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: CHEMEXCIL
- Low value per litre; this is a local-market business.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Price competition
- Shift to maintenance-free batteries
- Quality complaints if resin is not regenerated
- Credit to dealers
§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 battery water (dm water) unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam, GST), 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 Battery Water (DM Water) Unit?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
- KVIC Project Profile — Battery Water (PMEGP)
- PMEGP sample project report — Battery Water (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.