§1What this business is
Pigments are dispersed into a vehicle of varnish, resin and oil using a ball mill, triple roll mill and planetary mixer; the finished paste or liquid ink is tested and packed. Buyers are package printers, newspapers, publishers and commercial printers. (The PMEGP title says 'printer ink', but the process and market in the report are for printing ink.)
Capacity: 200 kg a day on a 10-hour shift; year 1 at 30%.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A chemist or ink-trade person with contacts among printers.
Who it is not for
Someone without colour-matching skill or printer contacts.
Advantages
- Growth in printed packaging keeps ink demand rising
- Many small printers prefer a nearby supplier
- Batch process — custom shades are easy to make
- Moderate investment
Drawbacks
- Over 550 makers plus many unorganised players, as the report notes
- Colour matching needs a skilled technician
- Solvents and pigments need careful handling
- Buyers expect credit
Skills you need
- Pigment dispersion and colour matching
- Lab tests (viscosity, tack, drying)
- Safe chemical handling
- Selling to printers
Why difficulty 3/5: Needs technical colour skill and trade contacts.
§3Market
Who buys
- Package printers
- Newspapers and publishers
- Commercial and promotional printers
How it sells
- Direct supply to printing presses
- Ink dealers
Good to know
- The report puts Indian printing ink demand at about 4,10,000 tonnes in 2021–22, growing about 7.5% a year over the last ten years.
- Printed packaging takes about 27% of demand, newspapers 20%, and commercial and advertising printing about 19%.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ball mill | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Triple roll mill | 1 | ₹5,00,000 |
| Varnish kettle | 1 | ₹1,90,000 |
| Planetary mixer | 1 | ₹1,80,000 |
| Pot mill | 1 | ₹70,000 |
| Laboratory and other equipment | 1 lot | ₹1,50,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Printer Ink (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Pigments (carbon black for black ink, titanium dioxide for white)raw material totals ₹36.00 L in year 1
- Binders — varnish and resincarry the pigment and bind it to paper
- Extenders, opacifiers and plasticizers
- Carriers — petroleum oil, soybean oil or waterwater for flexographic inks
From: PMEGP sample project report — Printer Ink (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Pioneer Engineering Co · Mumbai →A.P.V. Engineering Co. Ltd · Kolkata →Adair Dutta and Co · Kolkata →Amic Industries (P) Ltd · Kolkata →Associated Instruments Mfg (India) Ltd. · Kolkata →Associated Pigments Ltd · Kolkata →Bajaj Oil Mills · Howrah →Calcutta Industrial Chemicals and Minerals Co. Pvt. Ltd. · Kolkata →Calcutta Paints and Driers Pvt Ltd · Kolkata →Chamicolour Private Limited · Mumbai →D.K Engg. Works · Kolkata →Gandhi Parekh Investment Corpn. Private Limited · Mumbai →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Pollution control board consent
- Fire NOC (solvent storage)
- Factory licence where applicable
§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
₹17.56 L: PMEGP; MUDRA up to ₹20 L; CGTMSE for collateral-free credit; Stand-Up India for SC/ST and women.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Plant & machinery ₹13.40 L + furniture ₹0.60 L + working capital ₹3.56 L = ₹17.56 L (term loan ₹12.60 L, working capital ₹3.20 L, own ₹1.76 L).
Working capital: ₹3.56 L (bank ₹3.20 L); 10 days of stock and 12 days' credit to buyers.
Year not printed on the report; it quotes 2021–22 market data — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
- HS codes are from the WCO HS 2022 list; confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Shade complaints and returns
- Pigment and solvent price rise
- Fire from solvents
- Bad debts
§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 printing ink 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), 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 Printing Ink?
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.