§1What this business is
Dinitrochlorobenzene is heated with caustic lye in a jacketed reactor to make dinitrophenol. Sodium polysulphide, made separately from caustic lye and sulphur, is added and the mass heated for about 24 hours with air blowing. The dye is filtered, washed, dissolved and dried on steam plates into grains. The filtrate is evaporated and crystallised into sodium thiosulphate. The dye is sold to cotton dyers and textile processors, to customer specification.
Capacity: 120 tonnes of sulphur black (₹99.00 L at ₹82,500 a tonne) and 120 tonnes of sodium thiosulphate (₹31.20 L) a year; 10 tonnes a month, three shifts.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A chemist from the dyestuff industry with access to a chemical-zone plot and textile buyers.
Who it is not for
Anyone planning a site near homes or farms — effluent and smell will be a problem.
Advantages
- Cheapest black for cotton — large steady use in dyeing
- By-product sodium thiosulphate adds income
- The report notes export potential to developed and developing countries
Drawbacks
- Dye manufacture is a heavy-polluting activity — strict effluent rules
- The dye deteriorates in storage and forms acid; needs airtight, cool storage
- Poor fastness to chlorine limits some uses
Skills you need
- Reaction and temperature control
- Effluent treatment
- Shade testing and matching
Why difficulty 5/5: Toxic inputs, heavy effluent and three-shift chemical work.
§3Market
Who buys
- Cotton yarn and fabric dyers
- Textile processing houses
How it sells
- Direct sale to dye houses
- Dye and chemical traders in textile clusters
Good to know
- The report puts domestic demand at 6,950 tonnes in 2000–01 and expects it to rise.
- It values small-sector production at ₹148 lakh a year (2nd All India Census).
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| MS jacketed reaction vessel with stirrer, 5 HP | 1 | ₹2,00,000 |
| MS jacketed reaction vessel with heating coils | 1 | ₹2,25,000 |
| MS solubilising vessel with heating coils and stirrer, 5 KL | 1 | ₹1,75,000 |
| Sodium sulphide dissolving tank, 3 KL | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Vacuum filter with vacuum pump | 1 | ₹1,60,000 |
| Steam drying plates | 4 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Crystalliser with 3 HP motor | 2 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Filter press | 1 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Baby boiler with accessories | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Sodium thiosulphate solution storage tank | 1 | ₹75,000 |
| Laboratory equipment | lot | ₹75,000 |
| Pollution control equipment | lot | ₹2,30,000 |
From: DC-MSME project profile — Sulphur Black Dye (2003)
- Dinitrochlorobenzene5.5 tonnes a month (₹2,20,000) in the report
- Caustic soda lye16 tonnes a month
- Sulphur7 tonnes a month; the report says it may be obtained through MMTC
- Sodium sulphide3 tonnes a month
- Steam coal35 tonnes a month
From: DC-MSME project profile — Sulphur Black Dye (2003)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Chemic Organic Chemicals I) Pvt. Ltd. · Mumbai →Farichem · Delhi →Gujarat Alkali Chemicals · Vadodara →Kota Chemicals · Kota →Mechanicals · Delhi →Modi Chemicals Industries · Ghaziabad →Monali Chemicals · Mumbai →Rank and Company · Delhi →Shri Ram Chemicals and Fertilizers · Delhi →Standard metal Engg. works · Delhi →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- State Pollution Control Board consent to establish and operate (dyes are a red-category industry in most states)
- Boiler registration under the Boilers Act
- Compliance with hazardous-chemical and hazardous-waste rules
- Factory licence if your worker count crosses the Factories Act limit
§6Schemes & subsidies
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
The ₹58.25 L project is above PMEGP's ₹50 L limit; CGTMSE covers collateral-free loans and Stand-Up India covers SC/ST and women founders.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹33.50 L (land and building ₹11.00 L + plant and machinery ₹22.50 L incl. pollution-control equipment ₹2.30 L) + working capital for 3 months ₹24.75 L = ₹58.25 L.
Working capital: Working capital for 3 months ₹24.75 L; raw material ₹7.38 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.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Closure orders for effluent violations
- Dinitrochlorobenzene is toxic to handle
- Price pressure from large dye makers
§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 sulphur black dye 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 Sulphur Black Dye?
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.