§1What this business is
Metal items are cleaned of dirt and oil, rinsed, etched in sulphuric acid, rinsed again, nickel-plated for 10–15 minutes, rinsed, then chrome-plated in a chromic-acid bath, washed, dried and packed. The report's product is chrome plating of metal kitchen baskets. Buyers are kitchen-fittings makers, hardware and furniture makers, and auto-parts units.
Capacity: 500 units a day on a 10-hour shift; year 1 at 50%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone with electroplating experience in an industrial area with job-work demand.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot invest in effluent treatment and safety.
Advantages
- Kitchen, furniture, auto and hardware makers all need plating
- Machinery is tanks, rectifiers and busbars — under ₹7.5 lakh
- Can work as job-work for many local makers
- Chrome finish adds value and corrosion resistance
Drawbacks
- Hexavalent chromium and acids are hazardous — effluent treatment is a must
- Pollution boards treat electroplating as a highly polluting activity
- Net margin is only 4.7–6.0%
- Break-even is high at 45%
Skills you need
- Bath chemistry and plating thickness control
- Rectifier and current control
- Effluent treatment
- Job-work sales
Why difficulty 4/5: Hazardous chemistry and strict pollution compliance.
§3Market
Who buys
- Kitchen-fittings and basket makers
- Hardware and furniture makers
- Automotive parts units
How it sells
- Job-work orders from local manufacturers
- Direct supply of plated products to dealers
Good to know
- The report links demand to rising use of metal consumer goods and electroplating in automotive, aerospace and defence.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Nickel tank, PP 10 mm, 10′ × 2.5′ × 2.5′ | 1 | ₹42,000 |
| Nickel filter | 1 | ₹28,000 |
| Air pump, 1 HP | 1 | ₹17,500 |
| Rectifier, 800 A, oil-cooled | 1 | ₹1,55,000 |
| Titanium baskets | 20 | ₹30,000 |
| Nickel tank busbar set | 1 | ₹45,000 |
| Nickel heaters (₹3,500 each) | 2 | ₹7,000 |
| Soaking tank, PP 10 mm, 3′ × 2.5′ × 2.5′ | 1 | ₹17,500 |
| Anodic cleaning tank, PP 10 mm, 3′ × 2.5′ × 2.5′ | 1 | ₹17,500 |
| Anodic busbar set | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| Rectifier, 300 A, 12 V, oil-cooled | 1 | ₹68,000 |
| Heater | 1 | ₹3,500 |
| Chrome tank, 3′ × 2.5′ × 2.5′ (MS 3 mm with PVC and FRP lining) | 1 | ₹32,500 |
| Rectifier, 600 A, 16 V, oil-cooled | 1 | ₹1,25,000 |
| Chrome busbar set | 1 | ₹25,000 |
| Chrome anodes (₹4,000 each) | 8 | ₹32,000 |
| Heater | 1 | ₹4,500 |
| Hot dryer, 50 kg capacity | 1 | ₹69,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Chrome Plating (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Metal cleaners and acidscleaning and etching
- Chromium trioxide and nickel sulphateplating baths; raw material ₹37.50 lakh in year 1
- Plating chemicals and catalystsbath additives
- Lead anodes, busbars and demineralised waterprocess consumables
From: PMEGP sample project report — Chrome Plating (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Bright Metal Industries · Delhi →Delta Chemicals Pvt. Ltd · Mumbai →Grawer and Weil (India) Ltd · Mumbai →Hind Rectifier Pvt. Ltd · Mumbai →Jindal Electricals · Ludhiana →Platewal processes and Chemicals · Vadodara →Usha Rectifier Corporation (India) Ltd. · Faridabad →
§5Licences & registration
- Pollution control board consent to establish and operate (electroplating)
- Hazardous waste authorisation
- Udyam
- GST
- Factory licence
- Fire NOC
- Trade licence
§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 ₹12.87 L size.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: plant & machinery ₹7.44 L + furniture ₹0.80 L + working capital ₹4.63 L = ₹12.87 L. Premises own or rented. Finance: term loan ₹7.42 L, WC loan ₹4.17 L, own ₹1.29 L. (The PMEGP list also shows ₹15.44 L against the same file.)
Working capital: Working capital ₹4.63 lakh, bank finance ₹4.17 lakh — 10 days of stock, 15 days' credit both ways.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Plating is a service; exports are of the plated product, under that product's own HS line.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Pollution-board closure for poor effluent handling
- Worker health hazards
- Chemical price rise
- Rejections for poor finish
§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 chrome plating unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Pollution control board consent to establish and operate (electroplating), Hazardous waste authorisation), 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 Chrome Plating Unit?
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.