§1What this business is
China clay, ball clay, quartz and feldspar are mixed wet, passed through a magnetic separator and filter press, then shaped by slip casting or jigger-jollying. The pieces are dried, glazed and fired. Buyers are households, hotels, restaurants, offices and gift buyers.
Capacity: Tableware and dinnerware worth ₹19.50 lakh a year at full capacity (no piece count printed).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A potter or ceramic worker who wants to move from clay pots to glazed tableware.
Who it is not for
Someone without any pottery or kiln experience.
Advantages
- Hotels and restaurants keep replacing crockery
- Many designs and sizes possible from one set of moulds
- Good gift item
- Net surplus near a quarter of sales at full capacity
Drawbacks
- Cheap imported and machine-made crockery competes on price
- Breakage in firing and transport
- Needs a kiln and skilled hands
- Designs must keep changing to sell
Skills you need
- Slip casting and jigger-jollying
- Glazing and firing
- Product design
- Selling to hotels and gift shops
Why difficulty 3/5: Craft skill plus kiln control; the market is open but price-driven.
§3Market
Who buys
- Households
- Hotels and restaurants
- Offices and gift buyers
How it sells
- Crockery and gift shops
- Direct supply to hotels and restaurants
Good to know
- The profile says demand is rising and there is scope for new units.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ball mill | — | — |
| Moulds of different designs | — | — |
| Hand lever press | — | — |
| Screw-cutting machine | — | — |
| Toggle press | — | — |
| Tools and hand tools | — | — |
| All equipment together | — | ₹8,80,000 |
- China clay, quartz, feldspar, fire claybody of the ware; raw material ₹4.00 lakh a year in the profile
- Plaster of Paris, marble chipsmoulds and fillers
- Packing material₹50,000 a year in the profile
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Centre for the Development of Glass Industry (CDGI), Firozabad · Firozabad →Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI), Kolkata · Kolkata →Ceramic Cluster · Vridhachalam →Alam Ji Plaster Udyog · Barmer →Amic Industries (P) Ltd · Kolkata →Ashwain and Co · Pin →Bengal Lion Industrial Furnace) Ltd. · Kolkata →Ceekay Plasters and Chemicals · Bikaner →Ceramills Glaze and Ziroonium Co · Gurugram →D.K Engg. Works · Kolkata →Eleind Engineering Private Limited · Delhi →Erich Magnetics · Delhi →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST
- Pollution control board consent (kiln)
- Trade licence
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
KVIC/PMEGP model project; MUDRA (up to ₹20 L) and CGTMSE fit the ₹11.05 L size.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: equipment ₹8.80 L (ball mill, moulds, hand lever press, screw-cutting machine, toggle press, hand tools) + working capital ₹2.25 L = ₹11.05 L. Land own, work shed rented.
Working capital: Working capital ₹2.25 lakh; the profile works out ₹2.33 lakh per cycle.
Year not printed on the KVIC profile — check current machinery prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: CAPEXIL
- Confirm the 8-digit ITC(HS) line with DGFT or your customs broker.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Low-price imports
- Firing losses
- Breakage in transit
- Design going out of fashion
§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 ceramic tableware (stoneware and earthenware) 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 Ceramic Tableware (Stoneware and Earthenware)?
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.