§1What this business is
Stoneware is a hard, dense ceramic fired at high temperature so that it hardly absorbs water. The unit grinds quartz, feldspar, china clay, ball clay and fire clay in ball mills, filters and de-airs the clay body in a pug mill, shapes jars on jigger-and-jolly machines, dries, glazes and fires them in a 24-metre oil-fired tunnel kiln. The jars are made to IS 2838:1964, the Indian standard for stoneware containers for general purposes. The DPR is a model for a 600 MT a year plant running three shifts and sells jars at ₹60 a kg.
Capacity: 600 MT of stoneware jars a year worth ₹3.60 crore (50 MT a month at ₹60 a kg); 300 days, three shifts. The tunnel kiln is rated 2.5 MT a day. Use rises from 65% in year 1 to 85% in year 5.
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A ceramic technologist or pottery owner ready to move from a small kiln to a continuous tunnel kiln.
Who it is not for
A studio potter or anyone who cannot run a plant in three shifts.
Advantages
- Clay, feldspar and quartz are cheap and found in India
- Stoneware does not react with acid, salt or oil, so pickle and chemical users prefer it
- A tunnel kiln fires continuously and uses less fuel per piece
- The same plant can also make other stoneware articles
Drawbacks
- Needs about ₹2.9 crore and a 2-acre site
- The kiln runs round the clock, so three shifts and 46 people are needed
- Kiln fuel and power cost ₹4.35 L a month
- Plastic and glass jars compete on price and weight
Skills you need
- Ceramic body and glaze preparation
- Jigger-jolly shaping and drying control
- Running and maintaining a tunnel kiln
- Selling to pickle makers, chemical users and wholesalers
Why difficulty 4/5: Continuous kiln operation, ceramic know-how and a large outlay.
§3Market
Who buys
- Pickle, chutney and preserve makers
- Chemical, pharmacy and laboratory users needing acid-proof containers
- Households, hotels and gift shops
- Crockery wholesalers
How it sells
- Crockery and kitchenware wholesalers and dealers
- Direct supply to food and chemical units
- Exhibitions and online marketplaces
Good to know
- The DPR sells stoneware jars at ₹60 a kg — ₹30 L a month for 50 MT.
- The Indian standard is IS 2838:1964, Stoneware containers for general purposes.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ball mill 1800 x 1800 mm with 10 HP motor | 2 | ₹9,00,000 |
| Ball mill 900 x 900 mm with 7.5 HP motor | 1 | ₹2,00,000 |
| Screw blunger 5,000 litre with 5 HP motor and cemented tank | 2 | ₹4,00,000 |
| Vibrating screen 900 x 900 mm | 2 | ₹1,20,000 |
| Electromagnet with rectifier | — | ₹50,000 |
| Agitator with 3 HP motor and tank | 1 | ₹1,20,000 |
| Diaphragm pump with 7.5 HP motor | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Filter press, 600 mm chamber, 50 plates | 1 | ₹3,50,000 |
| De-airing pug mill with vacuum pump, 5 HP | 2 | ₹9,00,000 |
| Disintegrator with 7.5 HP motor | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Jigger and jolly with 5 HP motor | 2 | ₹4,00,000 |
| Sagger press, power operated, 5 HP | 1 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Water pump set 2 HP and pot mill 2 HP | 1 + 1 | ₹1,10,000 |
| Ceramic-fibre-lined push-bat tunnel kiln, 24 m long, 2.5 MT a day, with oil tank, combustion fan and hydraulic pusher | 1 | ₹75,00,000 |
| Laboratory equipment | — | ₹6,00,000 |
| Pollution control equipment (dust collector) | — | ₹3,00,000 |
From: DC-MSME import-substitution DPR — Stoneware Jars (2021)
- Fire clay20 MT a month at ₹2,000 a MT
- Quartz / silica sand13 MT a month at ₹3,000 a MT
- Feldspar10 MT a month at ₹3,500 a MT
- China clay10 MT a month at ₹5,000 a MT
- Ball clay5 MT a month at ₹3,500 a MT
- Glaze materials — zirconium opacifier, zinc oxide, barium carbonate, calcite, coloursabout ₹84,500 a month
- Plaster of Paris for moulds2 MT a month at ₹5,000 a MT
- Kiln furniture₹3,00,000 a month
- Packing material₹50,000 a month
From: DC-MSME import-substitution DPR — Stoneware Jars (2021)
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Factory licence
- State Pollution Control Board consent (kiln emissions and dust)
- Fuel oil storage permission as the state requires
- BIS licence if you want the ISI mark under IS 2838
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 ₹2.89 crore the project is above the PMEGP ceiling of ₹50 L for manufacturing. CGTMSE can back the term loan and cash credit without collateral (loans up to ₹10 crore).
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: Fixed capital ₹211.50 L (buildings ₹75.00 L, machinery and equipment ₹124.00 L, other fixed assets ₹4.50 L, pre-operative ₹8.00 L; the 2-acre plot is on lease) + working capital ₹77.12 L (margin ₹38.56 L + bank finance ₹38.56 L) = ₹2,88,62,260. The DPR calls ₹2,50,06,130 (fixed capital plus working capital margin) the cost of project. The investment shown is the DPR’s own cost of project.
Working capital: Working capital assessed at ₹77.12 L, half as margin and half as bank cash credit. First-year running cost is ₹21.99 L a month: raw materials ₹6.26 L, power and kiln fuel ₹4.35 L, salaries ₹8.99 L, other charges ₹2.38 L.
§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 before shipping.
- You need an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Cracking and warping losses in drying and firing
- Rising furnace oil prices
- Breakage in transport
- Demand shifting to plastic and glass containers
§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 stoneware jars and storage containers 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 Stoneware Jars and Storage Containers?
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.