What it is
The most used industrial acid. Goes into phosphate fertilisers, LABSA, battery acid, dyes, metal pickling and chemicals.
Technical grade (98%)Battery gradeOleum
Where imports come from
DCPC's statistics do not cover sulphuric acid; no official national figure was found.
Rules before you buy or sell
- Sulphuric acid 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.
- Sulphuric 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; sellers keep a register of buyers.
Storage and handling
Store in mild-steel (concentrated) or HDPE/FRP tanks with bunding. Always add acid to water, never water to acid. Wear face shield and acid-proof gloves.
Businesses that use it
Acid Slurry (LABSA) for Detergents →Battery Water (DM Water) Unit →Lead Acid Battery Assembly →Inverter Battery (Lead-Acid) Making →Oxalic Acid from Tree Bark →
Sources (2)
- 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