§1What this business is
Clay minerals, silica sand and talc are weighed, mixed, wet-ground in a bead mill, spray-dried into granules, pressed into tiles, dried, glazed and fired in a kiln, then polished and packed. Buyers are tile dealers, builders and contractors.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone already in the tile or building-material trade who can sell through dealers.
Who it is not for
A first-time founder hoping to beat large tile brands on price.
Advantages
- Tiles go into every new floor, kitchen and bathroom
- Machine-led process needs only 8 people
- Can print or emboss many designs
- Construction growth lifts demand
Drawbacks
- Morbi-scale plants make tiles far cheaper
- Raw material is about 72% of first-year sales
- Kiln and press need steady power and fuel
- Rent for 6,000 sq ft is high
Skills you need
- Body and glaze preparation
- Press and kiln operation
- Quality grading
- Dealer sales
Why difficulty 4/5: Capital-heavy for a small unit, and large plants set the price.
§3Market
Who buys
- Builders and housing projects
- Households
- Commercial buildings
How it sells
- Tile and building-material dealers
- Direct supply to contractors
Good to know
- The report lists floors, walls, roofs and table tops as uses.
- It notes many tile brands come from a few makers who supply retail chains under separate brands.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Weighing and measuring tank | — | — |
| Bead mill | — | — |
| Spray dryer | — | — |
| Compacting press | — | — |
| Hot air dryer | — | — |
| Glazing machine | — | — |
| Kiln | — | — |
| Buffing (polishing) machine | — | — |
| Bucket elevator, silo and conveyors | — | — |
| All plant and machinery together | — | ₹15.50 lakh |
From: PMEGP sample project report — Ceramic Tiles (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
- Clay minerals from miningmain body of the tile
- Silica sandbody
- Talcbody
- Glaze materialsapplied before firing
From: PMEGP sample project report — Ceramic Tiles (prepared by Udyami/Samadhan)
In our raw material database
China clay (kaolin) →Ball clay →Feldspar →Quartz and silica sand →
§5Licences & registration
- BIS registration
- Trade licence
- Udyam
- GST
- Factory licence
- Pollution control board NOC
- Fire NOC
§6Schemes & subsidies
PMEGP sample project; CGTMSE covers the collateral-free loan. The ₹24.78 L cost is above MUDRA's usual loan sizes.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Samadhan report: plant & machinery ₹15.50 L + furniture ₹0.50 L + misc assets ₹1.00 L + working capital ₹7.78 L = ₹24.78 L. Land and building owned or leased. Finance: term loan ₹15.30 L, WC loan ₹7.00 L, own ₹2.48 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹7.78 lakh, of which the bank funds ₹7.00 lakh.
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: CAPEXIL
- The 6907 subheading depends on the tile's water absorption — get it tested.
- 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
- Price war with large plants
- Fuel and power cost
- Firing defects
- Construction slowdowns
§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 tile manufacturing unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (BIS registration, Trade licence), 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 Tile Manufacturing?
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.