§1What this business is
Herbs and plant parts — walnut husk, turmeric, rhododendron flowers, oak galls, myrobalan, indigo and barks — are washed, dried and ground, the colour is extracted in heated tanks, filtered, mixed with natural binders such as gum arabic and a preservative such as clove oil, then bottled and labelled. Buyers are schools, artists, calligraphers, eco-stationery brands, souvenir shops and export buyers.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A promoter with chemistry or botany training and links to art, stationery or craft markets.
Who it is not for
Someone expecting mass-market volumes — writing ink is now a small market.
Advantages
- Unusual, story-rich product with few makers
- Herbs grow locally in Uttarakhand
- Plant residue can be sold as compost
- Fits eco-stationery and handmade-paper partners
Drawbacks
- Small, niche market — mostly artists and gift buyers
- Large team for the revenue (24 people)
- Slow break-even (about 3 years)
- Shelf-life and colour-fastness need careful testing
Skills you need
- Dye extraction and formulation
- Quality testing
- Packaging and branding
- Selling to artists, schools and brands
Why difficulty 3/5: Process is simple, but the market is niche and the cost base is high.
§3Market
Who buys
- Schools, colleges and cultural centres
- Artists and calligraphy groups
- Eco-stationery brands and handmade-paper makers
- Souvenir outlets and export buyers in Japan, Germany and the USA
How it sells
- Local retail (35% of sales in the profile)
- Institutional sales (25%)
- Online and export (20%)
- Custom art inks (15%) and fairs (5%)
Good to know
- Plant residue can be sold to organic farmers as compost, the profile notes.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Herbal dryer (electric/solar) | 2 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Pulveriser / grinding machine | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Extraction tank with heater | 2 | ₹4,00,000 |
| Multi-stage filtration unit | 1 | ₹2,00,000 |
| Mixing and homogeniser machine | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Bottling and capping machine | 1 | ₹3,00,000 |
| Label printing and packaging unit | 1 | ₹2,00,000 |
| Testing and quality lab equipment | 1 set | ₹2,00,000 |
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Natural Ink Making from Local Herbs
- Walnut husk, oak galls, myrobalan, turmeric, indigo, rhododendron flowers, barkscolour sources found in Uttarakhand
- Gum arabic and plant resinsnatural binders
- Clove oilnatural preservative
- Bottles and labelspacking
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Natural Ink Making from Local Herbs
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Pollution consent from the state board as applicable
- Trade licence from the local body
§6Schemes & subsidies
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
At ₹58.30 lakh this is above the PMEGP manufacturing limit; Stand-Up India (₹10 lakh–₹1 crore for SC/ST and women founders) and CGTMSE cover fit. The profile also mentions PMEGP, Startup India and state MSME support.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DUY profile cost ₹58.30 lakh: land and building ₹5.00 lakh, machinery ₹15.00 lakh, raw material ₹4.00 lakh, packaging and bottling ₹3.00 lakh, branding and marketing ₹5.00 lakh, training ₹2.00 lakh, salaries for year 1 ₹12.00 lakh, utilities ₹2.00 lakh, working capital ₹5.00 lakh, contingency ₹5.30 lakh. Its machinery list adds to ₹21.00 lakh.
Working capital: ₹5.00 lakh working capital plus ₹12.00 lakh for first-year salaries in the project cost.
Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current machinery and material prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
- Get an IEC before exporting; check the buyer country's rules for art and school materials.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Low demand compared with the cost base
- Inks fading or spoiling
- Uneven herb supply
- Imitation 'natural' inks
§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 natural ink from local herbs 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 Natural Ink from Local Herbs?
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.