§1What this business is
Hair conditioner is a water-based cream mixed in stainless-steel vessels with stirrers, then filled, sealed and labelled. It is sold as a hair-care product to shops, salons and distributors. The KVIC profile plans 36,000 kg a year.
Capacity: 36,000 kg of hair conditioner a year (production value ₹71.14 L at cost).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone with links to salons, cosmetic distributors or brands needing contract manufacturing.
Who it is not for
Someone hoping to sell on shelf next to national brands without a marketing budget.
Advantages
- Small machinery cost (₹8.20 L)
- Hair-care demand from both women and men
- Can make private-label stock for other brands
- Simple cold/warm mixing process
Drawbacks
- Big brands own shelf space
- Needs a cosmetics manufacturing licence
- Most money is tied up in raw material
- Brand building takes time and money
Skills you need
- Cosmetic formulation and batch control
- Quality testing (pH, viscosity)
- Packaging and labelling rules
- Distributor and salon sales
Why difficulty 3/5: Production is simple; the licence and selling against brands are the hard part.
§3Market
Who buys
- Cosmetic shops and general stores
- Beauty salons
- Distributors and brands that buy contract-made stock
How it sells
- Distributors and wholesalers
- Direct supply to salons
- Private label for other brands
Good to know
- The profile values a year's output at ₹85.00 L in sales at full capacity.
- It says demand is growing among women and younger men.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| SS mixing vessel, 250 litre | 1 | — |
| SS manufacturing tank with stirrer, 250 kg | 1 | — |
| Volumetric filling and sealing machine | 1 | — |
| Labelling machine and packing table | 1 | — |
| Storage tanks, tools, testing and office equipment, erection and electrification | 1 lot | — |
| All equipment above (total) | — | ₹8,20,000 |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Hair Conditioner (PMEGP)
- Conditioner raw materials (as a group)₹57.96 L a year in the profile; the profile does not list them one by one
- Labels and packing material₹75,000 a year
§5Licences & registration
- Cosmetics manufacturing licence from the State Drugs Controller (Cosmetics Rules, 2020)
- Udyam
- GST
- Legal Metrology packaged commodity registration
- Trademark for the brand
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
₹19.90 L project fits PMEGP and MUDRA (up to ₹20 L); CGTMSE for collateral-free loans; Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile total ₹19.90 L: equipment ₹8.20 L (SS mixing vessel 250 L, SS tank with stirrer 250 kg, filling-sealing machine, labelling machine, storage tanks, testing and office equipment), working capital ₹11.70 L. Land own, shed rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹11.70 L — raw material alone is ₹57.96 L a year.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
The report covers the home market only; it does not discuss export.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Licence or labelling lapses
- Brand competition and price pressure
- Batch spoilage or contamination
- Raw material price rise
§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 hair conditioner manufacturing unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Cosmetics manufacturing licence from the State Drugs Controller (Cosmetics Rules, 2020), Udyam), 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 Hair Conditioner Manufacturing?
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.