§1What this business is
Granite blocks of 1–2 cubic feet in colours such as Ilkal red, Hassan green and Kanakpura multicolour are bought from quarry owners, sawn into slabs on automatic diamond circular saws, edge-cut to size and polished to a mirror finish. Tiles go to builders, contractors and tile dealers. The report plans 75,000 tiles a year: 50,000 of 6×6 inch at ₹100, 20,000 of 12×12 inch at ₹200 and 5,000 of 12×24 inch at ₹300.
Capacity: 75,000 tiles a year, worth ₹105 L at full capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone near granite quarries or a stone market, with contacts among builders and tile dealers.
Who it is not for
Someone far from both quarries and buyers — freight on heavy stone eats the margin.
Advantages
- India has huge granite resources — 40,000 million cubic metres as of 1 April 2015, per the report
- Steady demand from homes and commercial buildings
- Export potential for granite tiles
- Simple process: saw, cut, polish
Drawbacks
- Losses in the first two years in the report
- Heavy, noisy and dusty work
- Big granite processors in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan compete on price
- Small tiles face competition from vitrified tiles
Skills you need
- Choosing good blocks and colours
- Saw and polishing machine operation
- Diamond tool maintenance
- Selling to builders and dealers
Why difficulty 3/5: Straightforward process, but heavy work, early losses and price competition.
§3Market
Who buys
- Builders and civil contractors
- Tile and stone dealers
- Commercial complex projects
How it sells
- Stone and tile markets
- Direct supply to builders
- Export through merchant exporters
Good to know
- The report calls India the second-largest granite producer after South Africa, with an established export market.
- Decorative pieces and granite sand also have domestic demand.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic circular sawing machines (cutting depth 375 mm) | 3 | ₹10,50,000 |
| Diamond segmented circular saw, 1,000 mm, 25 HP main motor | 1 | ₹4,50,000 |
| Double-blade edge cutting machine | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Heavy-duty polishing machine (manual) | 1 | ₹2,00,000 |
| Polishing heads, accessories and testing equipment | 1 lot | ₹1,60,000 |
From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Granite Tiles (2018) — private guide — confirm locally
- Granite blocks of 1–2 cubic feetfrom quarry owners in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan
- Diamond saw segments and polishing abrasivesconsumables
- Waterfor cutting and polishing
From: SIDBI Stand-Up Mitra project profile — Granite Tiles (2018) — private guide — confirm locally
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Afam Stonemachin · Bengaluru →Bhukanvala Diamond Tools Pvt. Ltd · Mumbai →Hensel (India) Pvt. Ltd · Bengaluru →Jodhpur Machine Tools · Jodhpur →M. L. Shah and Co Machinery) Pvt. Ltd. · Mumbai →M. R. Industries · Ahmedabad →Mysore Minerals Ltd · Bengaluru →Neel Enterprises · Ahmedabad →Rajasthan Industries · Jodhpur →Rajasthan Tools Pvt. Ltd · Jodhpur →Rajasthan Udyog · Jodhpur →Winter Misra Diamond Tools Ltd · Delhi →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST
- State Pollution Control Board consent (stone cutting and slurry)
- Factory licence
- Safety rules under the Factories Act for revolving machinery and dust
§6Schemes & subsidies
- Stand-Up IndiaCentralClosed₹10 lakh – ₹1 crore loan
- CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore
The ₹42.75 L bank loan fits Stand-Up India (₹10 L–₹1 crore) for SC/ST and women founders; CGTMSE can guarantee it. At ₹57 L the project is just above PMEGP's ₹50 L ceiling.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Land 1,000 sq m ₹4.00 L, building 500 sq m ₹5.00 L, plant and machinery ₹20.10 L, furniture and electrical ₹2.00 L, preliminary expenses ₹0.90 L, working capital ₹25.00 L = ₹57.00 L.
Working capital: Working capital ₹25.00 L; margin ₹13.50 L, bank ₹16.50 L.
Prices from 2018 — machinery and building costs will be higher now.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: Not verified yet
- No HS code or export body has been checked against an official list yet.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Block quality and colour variation
- Slab breakage and wastage
- Dust, slurry and noise complaints
- Price competition
§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 granite tile cutting and polishing unit 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 Granite Tile Cutting and Polishing Unit?
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.