§1What this business is
Absorbent paper sheets are coloured and cut to size, soaked in a mixture of synthetic pyrethroid (allethrin), piperonyl butoxide, perfume and dye, vacuum-dried, stored in closed containers and sealed in plastic packs of 30. The report's unit packs 1,08,000 boxes a year for retail sale through shops.
Capacity: 1,08,000 boxes of 30 mats a year worth ₹77.76 L (₹72 a box); single shift.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone with an FMCG distribution network in small towns and a chemist on the team.
Who it is not for
Someone expecting quick sales without retail distribution and registration in place.
Advantages
- Year-round demand, highest in the monsoon
- Simple process; the report says no pollution is involved
- Fast-moving household product sold in every shop
Drawbacks
- Insecticide registration (CIB&RC) takes time and testing
- Big brands dominate shelf space and advertising
- Allethrin is the main cost and its price moves
Skills you need
- Formulation and active-ingredient dosing
- Quality testing on gas chromatograph
- Retail distribution and trade schemes
Why difficulty 3/5: Simple process, but insecticide registration and brand competition are hard.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households, through kirana and general stores
- Hotels, hostels and institutions
How it sells
- Distributors and wholesalers
- Own delivery staff to retailers (two delivery men in the report)
Good to know
- The report says demand is rising with urbanisation, especially in tropical areas.
- No Indian standard existed for repellent mats when the report was written.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tablet punching machine, 30 T | 1 | ₹85,000 |
| Shearing machine | 1 | ₹10,000 |
| Strapping machine | 1 | ₹45,000 |
| Laboratory — gas chromatograph with printer | 1 | ₹2,30,000 |
| Automatic impregnation / sealing unit | 1 | ₹4,00,000 |
| Mechanical formulation and storage unit, weighing machine (100 kg), hand pump, precision balance | 1 each | — |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Mosquito Repellent Mat (2003)
- Synthetic pyrethroid (allethrin), technical grade50 kg a month at ₹6,650 a kg in the report
- Piperonyl butoxide (PBO)30 kg a month at ₹725 a kg
- Absorbent paper / cellulose sheets1,000 kg a month at ₹70 a kg
- Perfume and dye8 kg perfume, 2 kg dye a month
- Printed polythene and laminated board cartonspacking for 9,000 boxes a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Mosquito Repellent Mat (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
A. K. K. Enterprises · Mumbai →A.P.V. Engineers · Kolkata →Anup Engineering Ltd · Ahmedabad →Assam Packers · Guwahati →Batliboi and Co. P. Ltd · Chennai →Binny’s Engineering Co · Chennai →Central Pulp Mills Ltd · Surat →Chemopulp Tissue · Ghaziabad →Flavour and Essence (P) Ltd · Mysuru →India Paper Pulp Co. Ltd · Kolkata →Mankapur Chemical P. Ltd · Lucknow →Meghalaya Essential Oils and Chemicals Ltd · Shillong →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Registration of the product with the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) under the Insecticides Act, 1968
- State manufacturing licence for insecticides from the state agriculture department
- Legal Metrology registration for packaged goods
§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
PMEGP fits (₹28.21 L, under the ₹50 L manufacturing limit); MUDRA up to ₹20 L; CGTMSE for a loan without collateral; Stand-Up India for SC/ST and women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹12.20 L (machinery and equipment incl. automatic impregnation/sealing unit ₹4.00 L, gas chromatograph lab ₹2.30 L, installation ₹1.11 L) + working capital for 3 months ₹16.01 L = ₹28.21 L. Shed rented (₹5,000 a month).
Working capital: Working capital for 3 months ₹16.01 L; allethrin alone is ₹3.33 L a month.
Prices from 2003 — machinery, material and selling prices will be much higher now.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: CHEMEXCIL (Basic Chemicals, Cosmetics and Dyes Export Promotion Council)
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
- Importing countries usually need their own pesticide registration for the product.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Registration rejected or delayed
- Seasonal stock pile-up
- Price war with national brands
§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 mosquito repellent mat 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 Mosquito Repellent Mat?
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.