India regulates the manufacture, storage, import and handling of hazardous chemicals primarily through the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals (MSIHC) Rules, framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. This is a plain-English overview, not a substitute for your own compliance review — requirements depend heavily on the specific chemicals, quantities and site involved.
What the Rules Generally Cover
The MSIHC Rules apply to industrial activities involving chemicals listed as hazardous under the schedules to the Rules, above certain threshold quantities. Depending on the chemical and quantity stored or handled, obligations can include on-site emergency planning, safety reports, informing local authorities, and various notification and documentation requirements.
Why This Matters for a Buyer, Not Just a Manufacturer
These obligations generally fall on the site storing or handling the chemical — meaning a buyer who stores hazardous chemicals at their own facility, even chemicals they didn't manufacture, can have compliance obligations of their own, separate from anything the supplier is responsible for. Storage quantity thresholds matter here: staying under a threshold can mean lighter obligations, which is one more reason accurate inventory tracking is worth doing properly.
Practical Next Steps
If you're setting up new storage or increasing volumes of any hazardous chemical, the safest approach is to check current threshold quantities and requirements with your environmental compliance consultant or the relevant State Pollution Control Board before committing to a storage design — rules and thresholds are updated periodically, and this guide is a starting orientation, not a compliance determination for your specific site.