§1What this business is

Hydrated lime and chlorine gas meet in cast-iron cylinders with rotating blades (the Hasenclever process); the chlorinated lime that comes out is bleaching powder. Mixing in quick lime gives a 'tropical bleach' that keeps longer. Buyers are paper and textile mills, municipal bodies, public health departments, railways, hospitals and tea gardens.

Capacity: 1,500 kg a day, 4,50,000 kg a year (300 days); 60% in year 1 rising to 80% in year 5.

§2Is it right for you?

Who it is for

A chemistry graduate or chemical trader who can manage gas safety and government tenders.

Who it is not for

Anyone who cannot invest in safety gear, training and a careful operator.

Advantages

  • Bought every year by municipal bodies, PHE departments and hospitals
  • Simple process with few raw materials
  • Also sold to textile, paper and sugar mills
  • Government tenders give bulk orders

Drawbacks

  • Chlorine is a toxic gas — storage and handling need strict safety
  • Product loses strength if stored hot or damp
  • Tender business means low prices and late payments
  • Lime quality decides product quality

Skills you need

  • Safe chlorine handling
  • Lime quality testing
  • Tender filing
  • Moisture-proof packing and storage

Why difficulty 4/5: Toxic chlorine gas and pollution approvals make this harder than it looks.

§3Market

Who buys

  • Paper, textile and oil industries
  • Municipal corporations and public health engineering departments
  • Railways, hospitals, fertiliser units and tea gardens
  • Food, beverage and sugar plants (disinfection)

How it sells

  • Government and municipal tenders
  • Direct supply to mills
  • Chemical dealers

Good to know

  • The report estimates the North-East's need at about 3,500 MT of bleaching powder a year.
  • Available chlorine is 35–40%; mixing with quick lime gives tropical bleach with 25% available chlorine.

§4Raw material & machinery

ItemQtyCost
Chlorinator with separator and agitator2₹7,50,000
Reduction gear box2₹2,00,000
Slip-ring motor2₹1,50,000
Chain and pulley block1₹2,50,000
Lime storage tank1₹1,00,000
Lime storage tank2₹1,00,000
Vacuum pump with motor2₹50,000

From: PMEGP sample project report — Stable Bleaching Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

  • Slaked (hydrated) lime400 MT a year at full capacity, ₹4,000 per MT; lime quality is critical
  • Chlorine gas200 MT a year, ₹20,000 per MT; a by-product of brine electrolysis and must be free of hydrogen
  • Packing material₹2.50 L a year (lump sum)

From: PMEGP sample project report — Stable Bleaching Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

§5Licences & registration

  1. Udyam
  2. GST
  3. State Pollution Control Board consent to establish and operate
  4. Factory licence under the Factories Act
  5. Fire NOC
  6. Approvals for storing chlorine as required by the hazardous chemical rules

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

PMEGP (the report was made for it), CGTMSE for a collateral-free loan, Stand-Up India for SC/ST or women founders.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: PMEGP sample report: shed 800 sq ft ₹3.00 L, plant & machinery ₹16.00 L, furniture ₹1.00 L, working capital ₹5.56 L = ₹25.56 L. Land own or rented.

Working capital: Working capital ₹5.56 L (bank CC ₹5.00 L): 15 days of raw material and finished stock.

Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export

2828.10Commercial calcium hypochlorite and other calcium hypochlorites

Export council / board: CHEMEXCIL

  • CHEMEXCIL is the export promotion council for basic and inorganic chemicals.
  • Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.

§9Risks — where people fail

  • Chlorine leak or accident
  • Chlorine supply from chlor-alkali plants
  • Payment delays on tenders
  • Strength loss in storage

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

  1. Days 1–30: Visit a working stable bleaching powder unit unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
  2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam, GST), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
  3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

Not verified yet

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 Stable Bleaching Powder Unit?

DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.

Get a DPR / loan file made

Sources

  1. PMEGP sample project report — Stable Bleaching Powder (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.