When Should Candle Businesses Order Fragrance Oils for Diwali Production?

The back-schedule, day by day

Today is Thursday 24 September 2026, 45 days before Diwali. The table sets out every stage of a festive run as dates, working backwards from Sun 8 Nov. The durations are working assumptions for a small or mid-sized soy container-candle workshop; the next section explains each. Delivery time is deliberately not included. It depends on your pincode and the order, and CSI confirms it when you order.

Three dates matter most. Sun 25 Oct is when finished stock should be ready, because Diwali candles are bought in the weeks before the festival, and online and trade orders need time to travel. Mon 5 Oct is when all production materials must be on your bench. Fri 25 Sep is when test candles should be poured, so the decision on scents and loads is made before the order. If you are reading this on 24 September and your tests are already done, you are on schedule. If not, the section on starting late is for you.

Where each duration comes from

None of these durations is a rule, and each is worth checking against your own workshop. Ready 14 days before Diwali assumes some sales go by courier or to shops, which need lead time. If you sell only in person, a later ready date works; see the second batch below. A 10-day cure is a middle figure for soy container candles; many makers cure for one to two weeks, and your own tests tell you when the scent throw settles. 7 pouring days suits a run of a few hundred candles; scale it to your pouring capacity. 3 packing days covers lids, labels, boxes and dispatch preparation.

The test durations are the ones most often skipped. A test candle burned after two days is not the candle your customer burns after two weeks, so a 7-day test cure is the minimum we would plan. 3 days of burn tests lets you burn each test for several hours on more than one day, which is how you see the full melt pool and any tunnelling. How to Sample Candle Fragrance Oils Before Placing a Wholesale Order covers the testing method. Delivery time is the one duration we do not assume. We will not guess a courier time; ask CSI to confirm it for your pincode when you order.

Starting late: four options

Late testing is common, and there are four sensible ways to handle it. They differ in how much risk you carry and when the candles are ready. None requires skipping Diwali.

For most businesses, B and C together are the practical answer. Pour the main run from scents you already trust, ready Sun 25 Oct. Test one or two new scents now, and pour them as a second, smaller batch for Diwali-week sales, ready Wed 4 Nov. The second batch schedule is: test candles poured by Mon 5 Oct, materials in hand by Thu 15 Oct, pours Fri 16 Oct to Thu 22 Oct, a 10-day cure, and packing from Sun 1 Nov. That batch suits stalls, local shops and in-person orders; it is too late for most courier deliveries before Diwali.

What moves the dates

The two assumptions that move the in-hand date most are how early stock must be ready and how long you cure. The grid shows the date production materials must be in hand for each combination, with 7 pouring days and 3 packing days fixed. Any date on or before today is marked as passed.

If you need stock three weeks before Diwali and cure for two weeks, the in-hand date has already passed; that plan now needs a shorter run or a later ready date. If you sell mainly in Diwali week and cure for a week, you have until Thu 15 Oct to have materials in hand. Find your row and column, then subtract the delivery time CSI confirms. That is your order date.

Testing costs and starting sizes

How quickly you can test depends on the smallest size an oil comes in. Most festive oils have a 15 g tester, which is cheap and scents one 200 g test candle at 7.5%. Some start at 100 g, and one is in stock only at 500 g. That changes what testing costs and, when the calendar is tight, whether a scent is worth testing at all this year.

Mogra and Rajnigandha are out of stock in every size, with no restock date published, so they cannot be tested or ordered for this Diwali. Best Indian Fragrances for Diwali Candles covers the in-stock Indian florals, and Best Fragrance Oils for Diwali Candles ranks the festive oils with their tester sizes.

What to order today

Here is an order for Option B, placed today: production for two proven scents, 100 candles each of Sandalwood and Cinnamon Vanilla for the main run (200 g at 8%, 5% allowance), plus testers for two new scents for the second batch, Raat Ki Rani at 15 g and Midnight Bakhoor Royale at 100 g. Wax, wicks and jars cover the main run only; order the second batch's materials after the tests.

That is ₹55,998.96 today, of which ₹929.00 is testers for the second batch. The main run works out at ₹275.35 per candle in materials, before labour, packaging, freight and GST. For quantities beyond this example, How Much Fragrance Oil Should I Order for Diwali Candle Production? sizes the order and Buy Diwali Candle Fragrance Oils in Bulk picks the packs. For quotes beyond the listed packs, Wholesale Fragrance Oils for Diwali Candle Production explains the route. After Diwali, the same method sets your reorder dates for the November–February wedding season; How to Set Reorder Levels for Candle Fragrance Oils covers reorder levels.

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