§1What this business is
Pigments, extenders and part of the white cement are ground in ball mills, then mixed with the rest of the cement in an edge runner. Anti-fungal and water-repellent additives are added, the shade is matched to a colour card, the batch is tested and packed in 5, 10 or 20 kg bags. Buyers are house owners, painters, contractors and government works departments.
Capacity: 800 kg a day, 300 days — 2,40,000 kg a year; the report runs at 45% in year 1 rising to 65% in year 5.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone with links to hardware dealers, painters and building contractors.
Who it is not for
Someone who expects shops to stock an unknown brand without a sales push.
Advantages
- Steady demand from house building and repainting
- Dry powder process — no solvents
- Government works departments also buy
- Simple, proven machinery
Drawbacks
- Big national paint brands dominate
- White cement is nearly two-thirds of the raw-material cost
- Dust in grinding needs control
- Selling needs painter and dealer networks
Skills you need
- Formulation and shade matching
- Quality testing
- Dealer and painter network
- Credit control
Why difficulty 3/5: Making it is simple; selling a new brand against big companies is hard.
§3Market
Who buys
- House and building owners
- Painting contractors, architects and engineers
- Government buyers — State PWDs, CPWD, Railways, Defence, electricity boards
How it sells
- Hardware and paint dealers
- Direct supply to contractors
- Government tenders
Good to know
- The report says cement paint protects masonry from sun, rain, damp and fungus better than whitewash.
- It names government departments as a substantial source of demand.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| MS ball mill 30" × 36" with 5 HP flame-proof motor | 1 | ₹6,00,000 |
| MS ball mill 26" × 30" with 3 HP flame-proof motor | 1 | ₹50,000 |
| Edge runner (48" bucket) with reduction gear | 2 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Platform weighing balance, 200 kg | 1 | ₹60,000 |
| Testing laboratory equipment and tables | 1 | ₹40,000 |
| Counter scale up to 10 kg | 1 | ₹50,000 |
| Fire extinguisher | 2 | ₹50,000 |
| Dry powder mixer | 1 | ₹80,000 |
| Hand tools, fittings and auxiliary equipment | 1 lot | ₹95,000 |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Putty (Cement Paints) (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- White cement1,35,000 kg a year at ₹14 a kg in the report
- Hydrated lime68,000 kg a year at ₹5 a kg
- Water repellent7,500 kg a year at ₹35 a kg
- Silica aggregate70,000 kg a year at ₹4 a kg
- Pigments and other chemicals (zinc sulphate, calcium carbonate)₹1,50,000 a year
- Packing bags (5, 10, 20 kg)₹80,000 a year
From: PMEGP sample project report — Putty (Cement Paints) (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
BIS Central Laboratory, Sahibabad · Sahibabad →BIS Eastern Regional Office Laboratory, Kolkata · Kolkata →BIS Northern Regional Office Laboratory, Mohali · Mohali →BIS Western Regional Office Laboratory, Mumbai · Mumbai →BIS Southern Regional Office Laboratory, Chennai · Chennai →BIS Bangalore Branch Laboratory · Bengaluru →BIS Patna Branch Laboratory · Patna →BIS Guwahati Branch Laboratory · Guwahati →
In our raw material database
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) →Calcium carbonate (precipitated / ground) →Cement clinker →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- Pollution control board consent (dust)
- Trademark for the brand name
- Legal Metrology registration for packed goods
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
The report was written for PMEGP; CGTMSE and MUDRA help with the loan.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: building/shed 1,000 sq ft ₹5.00 L + plant & machinery ₹12.75 L + furniture ₹1.50 L + working capital ₹3.33 L = ₹22.58 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹3.42 L (bank finance ₹3.00 L); debtors are the largest part.
Year not printed on the sample report — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker before shipping.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Competition from big brands
- White cement price rises
- Credit given to dealers
- Seasonal slowdown in the rains
§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 cement paint and wall putty unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam, 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 Cement Paint and Wall Putty?
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.