§1What this business is
Stable bleaching powder, sodium carbonate, common salt and chalk powder are mixed in a sigma mixer, allowed to settle, pressed into tablets, filled into plastic containers and labelled with batch number and expiry date — a simple process developed by NEERI, Nagpur. Workers need gloves because the tablets are corrosive. Buyers are bulk buyers such as water and health departments, and individuals.
Capacity: 20,000 tablets a day, 60 lakh a year (300 days, 8 hours); 36 lakh in year 1 at 60%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone who can sell to water-supply, health and disaster-relief buyers.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot handle tenders and government buyers.
Advantages
- Safe drinking water is a government priority
- Very simple mix-and-press process
- Low investment and small team
- Bulk buyers such as water and health departments
Drawbacks
- The report's 77% gross margin rests on very low raw-material cost — check it with real quotes
- Sales depend on government tenders
- Tablets are corrosive and lose strength over time
- Big chemical firms also supply
Skills you need
- Mixing to the right chlorine strength
- Tablet press operation
- Quality and expiry control
- Tender and bulk sales
Why difficulty 2/5: Simple process; winning bulk orders is the work.
§3Market
Who buys
- Water-supply and health departments
- Rural households
How it sells
- Government and institutional tenders
- Chemists and general stores
Good to know
- The report says the government is encouraging small units to make chlorine tablets for rural drinking water.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sigma mixer, 3 HP motor, 50 kg capacity | 1 | ₹3,60,000 |
| Tableting machine with 3 HP motor | 1 | ₹1,25,000 |
| Weighing scale etc. | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Miscellaneous fixed assets | lump sum | ₹25,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Chlorine Tablets (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Stable bleaching powder3,120 kg a year at full capacity, ₹15 a kg
- Sodium carbonate1,560 kg a year, ₹100 a kg
- Common salt3,120 kg a year, ₹3 a kg
- Chalk powder7,680 kg a year, ₹4 a kg
- Plastic containers and labelspacking
From: PMEGP sample project report — Chlorine Tablets (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- Pollution control board consent
- Fire NOC (chemical storage)
- Quality as per buyer specification (the report says so)
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP sample project; MUDRA (up to ₹20 L) and CGTMSE fit the ₹11.30 L size.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: building & civil work (1,500 sq ft) ₹2.00 L + plant & machinery ₹5.20 L + furniture ₹0.50 L + pre-operative expenses ₹0.50 L + working capital ₹3.10 L = ₹11.30 L. Finance: term loan ₹7.38 L, WC finance ₹2.79 L, own ₹1.13 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹3.10 lakh, bank finance ₹2.79 lakh — 30 days of stock.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Tender loss or delay
- Chlorine strength loss in storage
- Worker safety
- Payment delays
§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 chlorine tablets (water disinfection) 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 Chlorine Tablets (Water Disinfection)?
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.