§1What this business is
Rough slabs (usually one inch thick) are bought from quarries, cut to size and polished in two passes — rough, then smooth — on a polishing machine using sand or emery and water. Polished stone is used for floors, kitchen slabs and toilets. Buyers are builders, contractors, house owners and building-material shops.
Capacity: Not printed in tonnes; projected sales ₹8.50 L a year at full capacity.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
Someone near stone quarries (the profile names Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh) with links to builders.
Who it is not for
Someone far from a quarry or construction market.
Advantages
- Very small investment
- Steady building demand
- Simple process
- Can work on job orders from builders
Drawbacks
- Dust and slurry need control
- Heavy slabs are costly to move
- Granite, marble and tiles compete
- Earnings depend on local construction
Skills you need
- Judging stone quality
- Machine polishing
- Cutting to size without breakage
- Dealing with builders
Why difficulty 2/5: Small and simple, but dusty work tied to local construction.
§3Market
Who buys
- Builders and contractors
- House owners
- Building-material shops
How it sells
- Direct job orders
- Stone and tile dealers
Good to know
- The profile notes that no institution prescribes a quality standard for these slabs.
- It links demand to growing use of granite, marble and Cuddapah as flooring.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| High stone polishing machine and other equipment | 1 set | ₹65,000 |
From: KVIC Project Profile — Stone Polishing Unit (PMEGP)
- Rough Shahabad / Cuddapah stone slabs₹2.40 L a year in the profile; bought from quarries
- Sand or emery and waterpolishing media
- Packing material₹10,000 a year
From: KVIC Project Profile — Stone Polishing Unit (PMEGP)
Suppliers in Building Business Bazaar
Baytu Stone Carving Cluster · Barmer →Hadapada Stone Carving Cluster · Khordha →Sikandra Stone Carving Cluster · Dausa →Stone Carving Cluster · Karauli →Stone Carving Craft Cluster · Puri →The Stone Carving Cluster · Baleshwar →Stone & Allied Industries Cluster, Shikaripara · Shikaripara →
In our raw material database
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam
- GST (if turnover crosses the limit)
- State Pollution Control Board consent (dust and slurry)
- Trade licence
§6Schemes & subsidies
- PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
- MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
- CM YUVAUPActiveUp to ₹5 lakh, interest-free
PMEGP and MUDRA (Shishu) fit; in UP, CM-YUVA covers projects up to ₹5 L.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: KVIC profile: equipment ₹65,000 (high stone polishing machine and other equipment) + working capital ₹1,00,000 = ₹1,65,000. Land own.
Working capital: Working capital ₹1.00 L; rough stone ₹2.40 L a year.
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.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Slowdown in construction
- Breakage in handling
- Dust and slurry complaints
- Indicative figures — no year printed
§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 stone 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, GST (if turnover crosses the limit)), 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 Stone 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.