§1What this business is
Shazar is an agate with tree-like patterns inside it. The report says Banda in Uttar Pradesh has been the centre of this craft for 300–400 years. The stone is collected from river banks after the rains, broken to find the pattern, sliced with a steel wire and silicon carbide powder, drawn and shaped (round, oval, heart, octagon, square), ground, lapped and polished with oxides. The report's product is a jewellery set of a pendant, earrings and a ring, each piece about 5 g. Only about 5% of the stones show a good pattern; the rest is waste.
Capacity: 80 jewellery sets a day in a 10-hour shift; the first year is taken at 55% of capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A craftsman family or a trader in the Banda cluster who can judge stones and has buyers for handmade jewellery.
Who it is not for
Someone who cannot source good stone or wants a fast-moving, machine-made product.
Advantages
- No two stones have the same pattern, so every piece is one of a kind
- The craft is promoted by the State and Central governments through fairs and exhibitions
- Machinery cost is low at ₹8.04 L
- The report notes buyers from Switzerland, France and Germany
Drawbacks
- Only about 5% of the stones yield a good Shazar; about 95% is waste
- Stone and stock tie up ₹12.78 L of working capital
- Projected net profit is only 2.6% of sales in year 1
- The work depends on a few skilled craftsmen
Skills you need
- Reading a rough stone to find the pattern
- Wire slicing, grinding and lapping
- Polishing and setting stones in jewellery
- Selling at fairs, exhibitions and to exporters
Why difficulty 4/5: Rare raw stone, hand skill that takes years to learn, and thin margins.
§3Market
Who buys
- Visitors at craft fairs and exhibitions
- Jewellery and handicraft shops
- Exporters and overseas buyers
How it sells
- Government fairs and exhibitions (the report names Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho and Surajkund)
- Direct orders from buyers
- Sale through exporters
Good to know
- The report says about 150 artisan families in 60–70 units work on Shazar stone in Banda.
- Price depends on the pattern: stones are graded as precious, valuable or inexpensive.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Stone cutting machine | — | — |
| Shaper | — | — |
| Grinder (iron or silicon carbide grindstone) | — | — |
| Jewellery lapping machine | — | — |
| All machinery and equipment together (excluding GST and installation) | — | ₹8,04,000 |
From: UP MSME 1-Connect project profile — Stone Jewellery (Shazar stone) (2024)
- Shazar stone (dendrite agate)collected from river banks after the rainy season; only about 5% gives a good pattern
- Thin spring steel wireused on a wooden bow to slice the stone
- Silicon carbide or alumina powdermixed with water as the cutting abrasive
- Polishing oxides (red oxide, cerium oxide, tin oxide, chromium oxide)
From: UP MSME 1-Connect project profile — Stone Jewellery (Shazar stone) (2024)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Trade licence from the local body
- Artisan card from the handicrafts office, if you sell at government fairs
- Importer-Exporter Code if you export directly
Start it in your state
Pick your state: today’s cost, central + state subsidy, raw material, land and help, on one page.
§6Schemes & subsidies
At ₹21.62 L the project is within PMEGP's ₹50 L limit for manufacturing. CGTMSE can cover the term loan and working capital limit without collateral.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Cost of project ₹21.62 L: plant and machinery ₹8.04 L + furniture and fixtures ₹0.80 L + working capital ₹12.78 L. Land of 1,500 sq ft is own or rented and is not in the cost. Finance: term loan ₹7.96 L, own capital ₹2.16 L, working capital loan ₹11.50 L.
Working capital: Working capital is ₹12.78 L, more than half of the project cost, with a bank limit of ₹11.50 L. Stock is held for 10–15 days and buyers get 15 days of credit.
Year not printed on the report — check current machinery and material prices.
§8Export potential
Export council / board: EPCH
- The report prints no HS code. It notes buyers from Switzerland, France and Germany.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Good stone is found only after the rainy season and supply is uncertain
- One wrong cut spoils a valuable stone
- Sales depend on fairs, tourists and a small set of buyers
- Stock of slow-moving designs locks up cash
§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 shazar stone jewellery making 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
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Shazar Stone Jewellery Making?
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.