What it is
Acid made mostly as a by-product of chlor-alkali plants. Used for steel pickling, toilet cleaners, water treatment and chemicals.
Commercial grade (30–33%)Food / pure grade
Where India produces it
Where imports come from
DCPC's statistics do not cover hydrochloric acid; no official national figure was found.
Rules before you buy or sell
- Hydrochloric acid (gas) / hydrogen chloride is listed in Schedule 1 of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical (MSIHC) Rules, 1989. Above the threshold quantities, a unit must notify authorities, keep safety data sheets and an on-site emergency plan.
- Hydrochloric acid is not scheduled under the NDPS Act, but it is internationally monitored. Customs (May–June 2026) asked importers and exporters to get a no-objection communication from the Central Bureau of Narcotics before each import or export.
- Retail sale of acids is controlled by state poison rules.
Storage and handling
Store in HDPE or rubber-lined tanks with fume control; it gives off corrosive fumes. Keep away from metals and alkalis.
Businesses that use it
Toilet Cleaner Making →Galvanised Steel (GI) Wire →Wire Nail Manufacturing →
Sources (3)
- Directory of Chemical & Petrochemical Units 2022-23 (large and medium units), Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals · 2023
- Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 (as amended up to 2000), Schedule 1 — copy hosted by Inspectorate of Factories & Boilers, Goa · 1989
- Chennai Customs Alert Notice No. 02/2026 (1 Jun 2026) on CMD Alert Notice No. 03/2026 — acetone, ethyl ether, hydrochloric acid, piperidine, sulphuric acid and toluene · 2026