King of Chemicals: Why Sulfuric Acid Rules Indian Manufacturing

When people talk about the king of chemicals, a term universally used in industry to describe sulfuric acid due to its unmatched volume, versatility, and economic impact. Also known as oil of vitriol, it’s not flashy, but it’s the silent engine behind fertilizers, batteries, metal processing, and even the plastics you use every day. In India, where chemical manufacturing is growing fast, sulfuric acid isn’t just important—it’s essential. Every ton produced means more food on tables, more cars on roads, and more exports from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat factories.

Why does it hold this title? Because no other chemical is used in more industries. It’s the backbone of phosphate fertilizer production, a critical input for India’s $100+ billion agricultural sector. It’s also the key reagent in lead-acid batteries, which power everything from inverters to electric scooters. Even in metal refining, especially for copper and zinc, sulfuric acid dissolves impurities so pure metal can be extracted. Factories that make these products don’t just use sulfuric acid—they depend on it. And because it’s cheap to produce and hard to replace, its profit margins are among the highest in the chemical industry.

India’s chemical sector is pushing hard to produce more sulfuric acid locally. Why? Because importing it eats into margins. Companies like Adani, Tata Chemicals, and Reliance are investing in new plants with better technology to cut costs and reduce pollution. Government schemes under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) program now offer cash bonuses to manufacturers who scale up sulfuric acid output. This isn’t just about volume—it’s about control. The more India makes its own king of chemicals, the less it relies on global price swings and supply chain chaos.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real stories from Indian factories: how small producers are squeezing profit from sulfuric acid, why some plants shut down because they couldn’t handle the waste, and how new players are breaking into this high-stakes game. You’ll see numbers, not guesses. You’ll learn what actually moves the needle in chemical manufacturing—and why this one acid still owns the game.