One of the core chemical industries in India, the dyes industries plays a crucial role in the growth of the economy. It is the second highest exporter in the chemical industry and is made up of 1000 small scale units and 50 large scale units. The total production of the industry is around 1,30,000 tonnes of dyestuff. Gujarat and Maharashtra account for 90% of the total production in the country due to the availability of raw materials and the dominance of the industry in the region. The major uses of dyes in the country are paper, paint, printing and ink, textiles, coatings and About 80% of the total production is consumed by the textile sector due to the high demand for cotton and polyester. The global consumption of dyestuff accounts for printing inks at about 40%, paints at 30% and plastics at 20%. Indian dyes industries consists of the basic dyes as well as other dyes which include ago acid, direct dyes, fast color bases, disperse dyes, sulfur dyes, reactive dyes, organic pigments, optical brighteners and naphthols. The organized sector in the industry dominated ith 65% of the total market share and the unorganized sector controls the balance 35%. Due to the stringent environmental regulations, the unorganized players are shrinking their share in the industry. The demand for dyes and intermediates is backed by the strong demand from leather, textile and ink industries. The exports are also expected to increase due to the shift in the production base from developed countries to India because of the pollution control measure adopted in those countries.

Currently, India contributes about 6% to the global market. The market is dominated by reactive and disperse dyes and the demand for the same is expected to grow in the coming years. Korea, Taiwan and China are strong players in disperse dyes and India leads in the production of reactive dyes because of the availability of intermediate vinyl sulphone in the country. The industry has also seen a movement towards consolidation as organized players are now ready to take lead in the global market. They are leveraging

their technology, brand building and product innovation. A lot more focus is being laid on the environmental friendliness and marketing capabilities to face global competition. China, Brazil, USA, Indonesia and Russia are some of the major countries where dyes are supplied. The market for reactive and disperse dyes is at 25% and 20% respectively. Prominent players in the global industry include Jay Chemical Industries Ltd., Odyssey Organic Pvt Ltd., Afine Chemicals Limited, Dispo DyeChem Pvt Ltd and Jiangsu YaBang Dyestuff Co. Ltd.

The growth of the sector also depends on the performance of the end user industries like paints, printing inks, textiles, plastics, paper and foodstuff. Any change in the consumer preference and the expansion of infrastructure in the world creates new opportunities for the industry. In order to achieve the global standards, it is essential for the industry to put in efforts in various areas so as to adopt aggressive growth and focus on the exports. Further, upgradation of the manufacturing facility, investment in research and development and comarketing alliances will help in cost reduction and in the achievement of growth. The industry will see various dyeing technologies coming into the market with the help of technical expertise as well as research and development achievement. Unless there is an  improvement in the power supply, infrastructure and labour laws, it will be hard to compete with the global companies.