§1What this business is
Brass ingots are heated, beaten into shape with mallets, cooled, assembled and joined, scraped, coated and finished with an acid wash for a golden look; designs are added by hammering or engraving. The report's product is a thali set of a round thali, a glass, 4 bowls and 2 spoons. Uttar Pradesh makes most of India's brassware, and the USA is the biggest export market, as the report notes.
Capacity: 30 thali sets a day on a 10-hour shift; 60% capacity in year 1.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Artisans of a brassware cluster (Bakhira, Moradabad and similar) or traders who can sell to shops and exporters.
Who it is not for
Someone wanting a machine-run, high-margin unit.
Advantages
- Tools cost only ₹2 lakh
- Old craft with a known name and export demand
- Brass utensils are bought for weddings, pujas and gifts
- Low power need (8 HP)
Drawbacks
- Very thin margin (2.5–6.7% in the report)
- Brass is costly; most money goes into metal
- Steel and other utensils compete on price
- Hand work limits output
Skills you need
- Beating and shaping brass
- Joining, scraping and polishing
- Buying brass at the right price
- Selling to utensil shops and exporters
Why difficulty 2/5: Cheap tools and a known craft, but margins are thin and the skill takes time.
§3Market
Who buys
- Families buying for weddings, pujas and gifts
- Temples
- Exporters and foreign buyers (USA, Gulf, Europe)
How it sells
- Utensil wholesalers and retailers
- Handicraft fairs and emporiums
- Exporters and online marketplaces
Good to know
- The report says north-eastern UP accounts for about 80% of production and 75% of exports of India's brassware.
- The report expects sales of ₹66.82 lakh in year 1 rising to ₹103.54 lakh in year 5.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Melting furnace (pit) with blower motor | — | — |
| Earth-graphite crucibles | — | — |
| Furnace tongs, rakes, hooks and casting brackets | — | — |
| Buffing machine | — | — |
| Hand tools (hammers, chisels and similar) | — | — |
| All machinery and tools (excluding GST and installation) | — | ₹2.00 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Brass Utensil Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Brass metal (sheet and scrap)main input; raw material ₹900–980 per thali set
- Refined sand, clay, bee wax and charcoalfor moulds and heating
- Nitric acid, tamarind pulp and emery paperfor cleaning and finishing
- Propane gas, iron wire and rodsother consumables
From: PMEGP sample project report — Brass Utensil Unit (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Barpeta Brass Metal Traditional Mini Cluster · Barpeta →Bhatimunda Bell Metal Cluster · Cuttack →Bishnugarh Brass & Bronze Cluster · Hazaribagh →Brass Metal Cluster · Kamrup →Jagmohan Brass Metal Cluster · Ganjam →Kantilo Bell Metal And Wood Cluster · Nayagarh →Kariyatpur Brass Manufacturing Private Limited · Hazaribagh →Metal And Brassware Cluster · Lalitpur →Salem Steel And Brass Cluster · Salem →Brass and Bell Metal Industry Cluster, Hajo · Hajo →Brass & Bronze Metal Utensils Cluster · Pareb →Brassware Cluster, Bhakhira · Bhakhira →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- Artisan card (Development Commissioner Handicrafts), helpful for fairs and schemes
- State Pollution Control Board consent (acid washing and furnace)
- IEC for exports
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
The report is a PMEGP sample. MUDRA and CGTMSE can back the loan.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Building/shed (1,000 sq ft) ₹4.00 lakh + machinery & tools ₹2.00 lakh + furniture ₹1.00 lakh + working capital ₹4.78 lakh = ₹11.78 lakh.
Working capital: Working capital ₹4.78 lakh, of which a bank loan of ₹4.30 lakh; raw material costs ₹900–980 a thali set.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts)
- Register with EPCH for an RCMC and hold an IEC.
- Buyers abroad may ask for lead-content tests on food-contact utensils.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Brass price swings
- Weak margin if sales prices cannot rise
- Acid handling in finishing
- Losing skilled artisans
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working brass utensils (thali sets) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Brass Utensils (Thali Sets)?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.