Monochlorobenzene (MCB) market conditions in India weakened in January 2026 as ample domestic supply coincided with seasonally slow downstream consumption. Following the completion of cracker maintenance, improved benzene availability enabled producers to sustain high chlorination rates, while stable chlorine supply supported uninterrupted output. Manufacturing units in western India operated steadily, and improved inland logistics reduced distribution frictions, ensuring consistent availability across trading hubs. Buyers remained cautious after elevated year-end inventories, favouring short-term contracts and staggered lifting schedules, which limited spot liquidity. Downstream activity stayed subdued, with dye intermediates, rubber chemicals, and fluorination chains operating below typical levels, while agrochemical formulators delayed procurement ahead of the pre-kharif cycle. Pharmaceutical intermediates provided only a modest demand base. According to ChemAnalyst, the near-term outlook remains balanced, with market direction likely to depend on inventory drawdowns and the timing of downstream restocking across key industrial sectors.
