§1What this business is
Cow dung from farmers, dairies and households is mixed with paddy husk, sawdust or wheat straw and a starch binder, pressed into logs or briquettes, dried and bagged. Buyers are crematoriums (in place of wood), brick kilns, small boilers, tandoor restaurants, rural homes and eco-resorts. Organic manure from processing is a by-product.
Capacity: Briquette press rated at 500 kg an hour; the profile notes 1 tonne of cow dung gives 500–600 kg of briquettes.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A gaushala, dairy cooperative or rural entrepreneur with steady dung supply and contacts with crematoriums and kilns.
Who it is not for
Someone far from dairies or without covered drying space.
Advantages
- Raw material is cheap and plentiful in villages
- Crematoriums and kilns are bulk buyers
- Saves forest wood — a clear green benefit
- Manure is a second product
Drawbacks
- Drying is slow in the monsoon and cold months
- Low price per kg, so transport eats margin
- Demand needs awareness building
- Smell and handling of wet dung
Skills you need
- Organising dung collection
- Mixing and pressing for density
- Drying and storage
- Bulk selling to institutions
Why difficulty 2/5: Simple pressing process; the work is in steady supply, drying and bulk sales.
§3Market
Who buys
- Crematoriums
- Brick kilns and small boilers
- Tandoor restaurants and households
- Eco-tourism facilities
How it sells
- Bulk supply agreements
- Tie-ups with dairy cooperatives
- Local fairs and government renewable energy programmes
Good to know
- The profile suggests long-term contract discounts and combined offers with organic manure.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cow dung briquette press (hydraulic, 500 kg/hr) | 1 | ₹6,00,000 |
| Grinder / pulveriser (heavy-duty, 10 HP) | 1 | ₹2,50,000 |
| Mixer (500 kg batch) | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Dryer / sun-drying trays (stainless steel, stackable) | — | ₹50,000 |
| Packaging machine (semi-automatic bag sealing) | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Cow Dung Log and Briquette Unit
- Cow dungfrom local farmers, dairy farms and households
- Paddy husk, sawdust, wheat strawagricultural residue mixed in
- Starch or binder and waterto hold the logs together
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Cow Dung Log and Briquette Unit
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR), Dhanbad · Dhanbad →
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Consent from the state pollution control board
- Trade licence from the local body
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
PMEGP fits this ₹28 lakh unit; MUDRA can fund up to ₹20 lakh; CGTMSE gives collateral-free cover. The profile also points to MSME and renewable energy support.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DUY profile cost ₹28.00 lakh: land and infrastructure ₹8.00 lakh, machinery ₹12.00 lakh, initial raw material ₹1.50 lakh, recruitment and training ₹2.00 lakh, marketing ₹1.00 lakh, working capital ₹3.00 lakh, miscellaneous ₹0.50 lakh. Finance: own ₹10.00 lakh, bank loan ₹15.00 lakh, subsidy ₹3.00 lakh.
Working capital: ₹3.00 lakh working capital and ₹1.50 lakh of initial raw material.
Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current machinery and material prices.
§8Export potential
This is a local-market fuel; confirm the ITC-HS code on the DGFT site if exporting.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Wet product that will not burn well
- Seasonal drop in dung or drying
- Transport cost
- Buyers going back to cheap wood
§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 cow dung logs and briquettes 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 registration), 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 Cow Dung Logs and Briquettes?
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.