Dyestuffs represent the highest development of chemical technology and also form a crucial link in the chain of other chemical and allied industries. Dyes have wide ranging application in textiles leather, paper, printing ink and paint as also in the food industry. Today, India is almost self sufficient in its dyestuffs requirements, with 95 per cent of the demand for dyes and intermediates met from local sources. Main raw materials for dyestuffs are H- acid, vinyl sulphone, gamma acid, anthraquinone, metanilic acid, J-acid and tables acid etc.

These are all petrochemical based. The chief types of dyes are acrylic fibre dyes, azo, acids and direct dyes, basic dyes, disperse dyes, fast colour bases, food dyes, ingrain dyes, naphthols, oil and spirit soluble dyes, optical brighteners, emulsion organic pigments, re­active dyes, solubilised vat dyes, solubilised azoics, sulphur dyes and vat dyes etc.

The beginning of the dyestuffs industry dates back to 1954 when a large factory was started at Atul (Valsad). By 1978-79 the number of units increased to 100 and by 1988-89 to 950. But now about 50 per cent of these units have been closed due to enforce­ment of stringent pollution control measures and declining exports.

India produces about 60,000 tons of dye- stuffs which are about 6-7 per cent of the world total. Most of the big manufacturing units of dyestuffs in the organised sector are concentrated in Mumbai, Kolkata, and Ahmadabad etc.

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The dyestuff industry is facing a number of problems like high cost of raw materials, environ­mental control measures, declining exports, stiff competition from other Asian countries like China, Korea and Taiwan, and decreasing importance of dyes based on naphtha’s and azo. The industry is also undergoing a process of restructuring with the entry of multinationals.

India’s share is about 2-3 per cent of the world trade in dyestuffs. During 1990-91 India ex­ported 22,958 tons of dyestuffs valued at Rs. 280.40 crores which rose to record high figure of 51,324 tons worth Rs. 1,099.50 crores in 1994-95. Since then there has been decline in the quantity and value of the exports of dyestuffs. The country ex­ported 45,600 tons of dyestuffs valued at Rs. 1,176.80 crores in 1996-97. The bulk of the exports go to developed countries many of which have curtailed the production of dyes due to ecological problems.