§1What this business is
Mild steel jobs are degreased in trichloroethylene, derusted in citric acid, cleaned in sodium silicate, activated in hydrochloric acid and rinsed between steps. They are then dipped in a bath of nickel chloride, sodium acetate, glycerin and sodium hypophosphite at about 85°C. The profile says the process suits the insides of chemical plant parts, tubes and condensers.
Capacity: Cost of production ₹34.88 lakh and projected sales ₹40.00 lakh a year at full capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A chemistry graduate or someone from the plating trade near an industrial cluster.
Who it is not for
Someone without chemical handling knowledge, or in a residential area.
Advantages
- Even coating on complex shapes and inner surfaces
- Industrial buyers pay for specialised work
- Small equipment cost (₹2.78 lakh)
- Repeat orders from the same plants
Drawbacks
- Chemicals cost most of the turnover
- Hazardous chemicals and waste water
- Bath must be watched closely for temperature and strength
- Needs an industrial area with engineering customers
Skills you need
- Bath chemistry and testing
- Surface preparation
- Effluent treatment
- Selling to engineering firms
Why difficulty 4/5: Chemical process, effluent treatment and strict pollution rules.
§3Market
Who buys
- Chemical plants and process equipment makers
- Engineering firms with steel parts, tubes and condensers
How it sells
- Direct job work for industrial units
Good to know
- The profile calls the process expensive but well suited to the insides of chemical plants, tubes and condensers even after assembly.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Vapour degreasing plant | 1 | — |
| Process tanks | 5 | — |
| Laboratory glassware | 1 set | — |
| Waste treatment plant | 1 | — |
| De-ionising plant | 1 | — |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Electroless Nickel Plating (PMEGP)
- Trichloroethylene, citric acid, sodium silicate, hydrochloric acidfor cleaning and activating the jobs
- Nickel chloride, sodium acetate, glycerin, sodium hypophosphitefor the plating bath; raw material totals ₹26.16 lakh a year
- Distilled waterfor rinsing and the bath
From: KVIC Project Profile — Electroless Nickel Plating (PMEGP)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent — electroplating is a Red-category activity
- Fire safety NOC
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP fits (the report was made for it); MUDRA gives loans up to ₹20 lakh; CGTMSE lets the bank lend without collateral.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Work-shed 2,000 sq ft (on rent) ₹4.00 lakh, equipment ₹2.78 lakh, working capital ₹5.82 lakh = ₹12.60 lakh.
Working capital: Working capital ₹5.82 lakh; chemicals (raw material) ₹26.16 lakh a year.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
A local service business; it has no goods to export.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Pollution board closure if effluent is not treated
- Chemical price rises
- Rejected jobs from poor coating
- Worker health and safety
§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 electroless nickel 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 (Udyam registration, GST registration), 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 Electroless Nickel 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.