A Study On Pottery Business

A study on pottery business
TITLE OF THE STUDY:

A study on pottery business with special reference to the area of Dakshin Kannada and
Bangalore
NEED OF THE STUDY:

Pottery business in India is one of the major handicrafts sector. But in recent days pottery is
not in the limelight. This study mainly focuses on bringing this unique sector into the
limelight and also encouraging the present generation to continue this art.
OBJECTIVES:
To analyse the present scenario of the potters in the rural as well as urban area
To identify their major problems
To find the possible solutions to their problems
To know the future prospects of pottery business
SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

This study helps in understanding the process of pot making, the various types of products
available, the income and expenditure involved in this business.
It also helps us in identifying the market demand of the products and also the future prospects
of the business.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
This study has been done using the following data:
PRIMARY DATA: The data is collected directly by interviewing the respondents using the
questionnaire prepared exclusively for this study. The questionnaire comprises of 14 major
questions. This is purely first hand information.
SECONDARY DATA: The data which has been collected from others sources which was
already available and not by direct consultation. It is purely second hand data.
SAMPLING OF THE STUDY:
The method of sampling has been used. 15 convenient samples have been interviewed .
Alvas College, Moodbidri
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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:
This study is confined to the area of Dakshin Kannada and Bangalore alone
It is based on a small sample size i.e., 15 respondents
The suggestions may not be appropriate to all the people involved in pottery business
This study may not give the in depth information about the business
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INTRODUCTION
Pottery in the Indian subcontinent has an ancient history and is one of the most tangible and
iconic elements of regional art. Evidence of pottery has been found in the early settlements of
Mehrgarh from the Indus Valley Civilization. Today, it is a cultural art that is still practiced
extensively in India and Pakistan. Until recent times all Indian pottery has been earthenware,
including terracotta.
Today, pottery thrives as an art form in India, and it is slowly gaining awareness as a
functional item as well. Various platforms, including potters' markets and online pottery
boutiques have contributed to this trend.
But still it is not so commercialised that it attracts more number of consumers or
entrepreneurs who would willingly start up a pottery business.
HISTORY
The origin of pottery in India can be traced back to the Neolithic age, with coarse handmade
pottery - bowls, jars, vessels - in various colours such as red, orange, brown, black and cream.
The real beginning of Indian pottery is with the Indus Valley Civilization. There is proof of
pottery being constructed in two ways, handmade and wheel-made. Harappa and MohenjoDaro cultures heralded the age of wheel-made pottery, characterized by well-burnt black
painted red wares.
During first millennium BC, painted grey ware was found in parts of North India and the
Gangetic plain. Decorated pottery becomes significant in the Shunga, Kushan and Gupta
periods.
The phase of glazed pottery started in the 12th century AD, when Muslim rulers encouraged
potters from Iran and elsewhere to settle in India. Glazed pottery of Persian models with
Indian designs, dating back to the Sultanate period, has been found in Gujarat and
Maharashtra.
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
India is dotted with various pottery firms, big and small pottery concerns have mushroomed
in India like never before, thereby, making the Indian subcontinent self-sustaining in the
manufacturing of various types of products.
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Among other states, Uttar Pradesh is responsible for taking this industry to new heights. Parts
of Uttar Pradesh like, Khurja, Chinhar, Chunar, Phulpur, Mathura, Agra, Vrindaban,
Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Moradabad, Kanpur, Etmadpur, Rampur, and Aligarh are mainly engaged
in pot making. The pottery industry in Uttar Pradesh comprises 600 units altogether, out of
which 570 are working actively. Furthermore, the working units are divided into Independent
units, semi-independent units as well as dependent units. Indian pottery industry, over the
years, has bravely battled several hindrances and emerged as the proud winner. This profitearning industry of India is without any application of modern day technical support; most of
the technologies are outdated and are also inefficient at the same time. Moreover, this
important industry has failed to taste success in respond to meet the present market demands.
It has been estimated that over 40 lakhs rural potters still work with the help of conventional
pottery wheels. Of the 15 lakhs traditionally skilled potters, about 95% are involved in the
work of conventional red local pottery. In addition, the products made in the village pottery
are only sold to a restricted part of the society. However, the emergence of the Studio Pottery
has played a significant role in boosting the India pottery industry. More and more artists are
getting involved with this kind of pottery.
INDIAN POTTERY INDUSTRY MARKET PLAYERS
Palam Potteries: Manufacturer of pottery products.
HiItkari Potteries
Pelican Pottery
Jaipur Glass Industries
Heritage Pottery
Venus Industries & Emporium
Lacmi Air And Potteries House: Producer, exporter of pottery
Blue Art Flower Vases Works
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Confetti Exports Private Limited: Manufacturer and exporter of pottery
Terracotta Manufacturer and exporter of black pottery.
CONTRIBUTION OF POTTERY INDUSTRY TO THE GDP

Indian Pottery Industry India is one of the important suppliers of handicrafts to the world
market. The handicraft export business is increasing at a consistent pace and is spreading its
wings to the various nations. In 201213, Indian handicrafts exports stood at US$ 3.3 billion,
registering a growth of approximately 22% over the previous year. Exports of Indian
handicrafts have grown at a rate of around 7% since 200102. The Handicraft industry is a
major source of income for rural communities. India along with several other developing
countries of Asia is considered as one of the first Asian countries to manufacture as well as
export pottery products. The important markets for Indian pottery products are USA, Mexico,
Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, Italy and France. Pottery industry is economically important
for its low capital investment, high ratio of value addition and high potential for export and
foreign exchange earnings for the country. It is highly labour intensive cottage based industry
and decentralized, being spread all over the country in rural and urban areas. Numerous
artisans are engaged in crafts work on part-time basis. The industry provides employment to
over six million artisans, which include a large number of women and people belonging to
the weaker sections of the society. The pottery industry in India provides mass employment
along with betterment of the living standards; both the village and city people comprise the
work force of the industry. India pottery industry, over the years, has bravely battled several
hindrances and emerged as the proud winner. This profit-earning industry of India is without
any application of modern day technical support; most of the technologies are outdated and
are also inefficient at the same time. It has been estimated that over 40 lacs rural potters still
work with the help of conventional pottery wheels. Of the 15 lacs traditionally skilled potters,
about 95% are involved in the work of conventional red local pottery. In addition, the
products made in the village pottery are only sold to a restricted part of the society. The
products of artisan are branded as local, primitive, ethnic and similar adjectives that can
denote qualitatively inferior products when compared with machine-made, mass-produced
objects of uniform quality
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INDIAN POTTERY INDUSTRY FACTS

India along with several other developing countries of Asia is considered as one of the first
Asian countries to manufacture as well as export products of pottery. The important markets
for pottery products are USA, Mexico, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, Italy and France.
However, the share of global market of India in pottery products is believed to be less than
1%. The important suppliers list includes China, UK, Japan and USA. The yearly production
of pottery products in the Khurja units of Uttar Pradesh is slated to be around 85 crore. Out of
this about 20% is exported in the international market. Among the pottery products that are
exported from India, the most common ones are chemical porcelains, handicraft art ware and
more.
In order to improve the overall condition of the India pottery industry, it is important to
identify the various requirements of the manufacturing centres, technological development
along with advancement of the centres with help structures have also become a necessity.
Proper review of the industry, analyzing the need, gap and formulating of a proper plan are
also important.
PRODUCTION STAGES
Clay ware takes on varying physical characteristics during the making of pottery.
Green ware refers to unfired objects. At sufficient moisture content, bodies at this
stage are in their most plastic form (they are soft and malleable, and hence can be
easily deformed by handling).
Leather-hard refers to a clay body that has been dried partially. At this stage the clay
object has approximately 15% moisture content. Clay bodies at this stage are very
firm and only slightly pliable. Trimming and handle attachment often occurs at the
leather-hard state.
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Bone-dry refers to clay bodies when they reach moisture content at or near 0%. It is
now ready to be bisque fired.
Bisque refers to the clay after the object is shaped to the desired form and fired in the
kiln for the first time, known as "bisque fired" or "biscuit fired". This firing changes
the clay body in several ways. Mineral components of the clay body will undergo
chemical changes that will change the colour of the clay.
Glaze fired is the final stage of some pottery making. A glaze may be applied to the
bisque form and the object can be decorated in several ways. After this the object is
"glazed fired", which causes the glaze material to melt, then adhere to the object. The
glaze firing will also harden the body still more as chemical processes can continue to
occur in the body.
CLAY BODIES AND MINERAL CONTENTS

There are several materials that are referred to as clay. The properties of the clays differ,
including: Plasticity, the malleability of the body; the extent to which they will absorb water
after firing; and shrinkage, the extent of reduction in size of a body as water is removed.
Different clay bodies also differ in the way in which they respond when fired in the kiln. A
clay body can be decorated before or after firing. Prior to some shaping processes, clay must
be prepared. Each of this different clay is composed of different types and amounts of
minerals that determine the characteristics of resulting pottery. There can be regional
variations in the properties of raw materials used for the production of pottery, and this can
lead to wares that are unique in character to a locality. It is common for clays and other
materials to be mixed to produce clay bodies suited to specific purposes. A common
component of clay bodies is the mineral kaolinite. Other mineral compounds in the clay may
act as fluxes which lower the nitrification temperature of bodies. Following is a list of
different types of clay used for pottery.
PREPARATION OF CLAY FOR POTTERY IN INDIA
Kaolin, is sometimes referred to as China clay because it was first used in China.
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Ball clay-An extremely plastic, fine grained sedimentary clay, which may contain
some organic matter. Small amounts can be added to porcelain to increase plasticity.
Fire clay , clay having a slightly lower percentage of fluxes than kaolin, but usually
quite plastic. It is highly heat resistant form of clay which can be combined with other
clays to increase the firing temperature and may be used as an ingredient to make
stoneware type bodies.
Stoneware clay Suitable for creating stoneware. This clay has many of the
characteristics between fire clay and ball clay, having finer grain, like ball clay but is
more heat resistant like fire clays.
Common red clay and Shale clay have vegetable and ferric oxide impurities which
make them useful for bricks, but are generally unsatisfactory for pottery except under
special conditions of a particular deposit.
Bentonite - An extremely plastic clay which can be added in small quantities to short
clay to increase the plasticity
METHODS OF SHAPING
Pottery can be shaped by a range of methods that include:
Hand-building. This is the earliest forming method. Wares can be constructed by hand
from coils of clay, combining flat slabs of clay, or pinching solid balls of clay or some
combination of these. Parts of hand-built vessels are often joined together with the aid
of slip, an aqueous suspension of clay body and water. A clay body can be decorated
before or after firing. Prior to some shaping processes, clay must be prepared such as
table ware although some studio potters find hand-building more conducive to create
one-of-a-kind works of art.
The potter's wheel. In a process called "throwing" (coming from the Old English word
thrown which means to twist or turn) a ball of clay is placed in the centre of a
turntable, called the wheel-head, which the potter rotates with a stick, with foot power
or with a variable-speed electric motor.
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During the process of throwing, the wheel rotates while the solid ball of soft clay is
pressed, squeezed and pulled gently upwards and outwards into a hollow shape. The
first step of pressing the rough ball of clay downward and inward into perfect
rotational symmetry is called centring the claya most important skill to master
before the next steps: opening (making a centred hollow into the solid ball of clay),
flooring (making the flat or rounded bottom inside the pot), throwing or pulling
(drawing up and shaping the walls to an even thickness), and trimming or turning
(removing excess clay to refine the shape or to create a foot).
Considerable skill and experience are required to throw pots of an acceptable standard
and, while the war may have high artistic merit, the reproducibility of the method is
poor. Because of its inherent limitations, throwing can only be used to create wares
with radial symmetry on a vertical axis. These can then be altered by impressing,
bulging, carving, fluting, and incising. In addition to the potter's hands these
techniques can use tools, including paddles, anvils & ribs, and those specifically for
cutting or piercing such as knives, fluting tools and wires. Thrown pieces can be
further modified by the attachment of handles, lids, feet and spouts.
Granulate pressing: As the name suggests, this is the operation of shaping pottery by
pressing clay in a semi-dry and granulated condition in a mould. The clay is pressed
into the mould by a porous die through which water is pumped at high pressure. The
granulated clay is prepared by spray-drying to produce a fine and free-flowing
material having a moisture content of between about 5 and 6 per cent. Granulate
pressing, also known as dust pressing, is widely used in the manufacture of, ceramic
tiles and increasingly, of plates.
Injection moulding: This is a shape-forming process adapted for the tableware

industry from the method long established for the forming of thermoplastic and some
metal components. It has been called Porcelain Injection Moulding, or PIM. Suited to
the mass production of complex-shaped articles, one significant advantage of the
technique is that it allows the production of a cup, including the handle, in a single
process, and thereby eliminates the handle-fixing operation and produces a stronger
bond between cup and handle. The feed to the mould die is a mix of approximately 50
to 60 percent unfired body in powder form, together with 40 to 50 percent organic
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additives composed of binders, lubricants and plasticisers. The technique is not as
widely used as other shaping methods.
Jiggering and jolleying: These operations are carried out on the potter's wheel and
allow the time taken to bring wares to a standardized form to be reduced. Jiggering is
the operation of bringing a shaped tool into contact with the plastic clay of a piece
under construction, the piece itself being set on a rotating plaster mould on the wheel.
The jigger tool shapes one face while the mould shapes the other. Jiggering is used
only in the production of flat wares, such as plates, but a similar operation, jolleying,
is used in the production of hollow-wares such as cups. Jiggering and jolleying have
been used in the production of pottery since at least the 18th century. In large-scale
factory production, jiggering and jolleying are usually automated, which allows the
operations to be carried out by semi-skilled labour.
Roller-head machine: This machine is for shaping wares on a rotating mould, as in

jiggering and jolleying, but with a rotary shaping tool replacing the fixed profile. The
rotary shaping tool is a shallow cone having the same diameter as the ware being
formed and shaped to the desired form of the back of the article being made. Wares
may in this way be shaped, using relatively unskilled labour, in one operation at a rate
of about twelve pieces per minute, though this varies with the size of the articles being
produced. Developed in the UK just after World War II by the company Service
Engineers, roller-heads were quickly adopted by manufacturers around the world;
they remain the dominant method for producing flatware.
Pressure casting: Specially developed polymeric materials allow a mould to be subject

to application external pressures of up to 4.0 MPaso much higher than slip casting in
plaster moulds where the capillary forces correspond to a pressure of around 0.1 - 0.2
MPa. The high pressure leads to much faster casting rates and, hence, faster
production cycles. Furthermore, the application of high pressure air through the
polymeric moulds upon remoulding the cast means a new casting cycle can be started
immediately in the same mould, unlike plaster moulds which require lengthy drying
times. The polymeric materials have much greater durability than plaster and,
therefore, it is possible to achieve shaped products with better dimensional tolerances
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and much longer mould life. Pressure casting was developed in the 1970s for the
production of sanitary ware although, more recently, it has been applied to tableware.
Ram pressing: This is used to shape ware by pressing a bat of prepared clay body into
a required shape between two porous moulding plates. After pressing, compressed air
is blown through the porous mould plates to release the shaped wares.
Slip casting: This ideally suited to the making of wares that cannot be formed by other
methods of shaping. A slip, made by mixing clay body with water, is poured into a
highly absorbent plaster mould. Water from the slip is absorbed into the mould
leaving a layer of clay body covering its internal surfaces and taking its internal
shape. Excess slip is poured out of the mould, which is then split open and the
moulded object removed. Slip casting is widely used in the production of sanitary
wares and is also used for making smaller articles, such as intricately detailed
figurines.
FIRING : Firing produces irreversible changes in the body. It is only after firing that
the article or material is pottery. In lower-fired pottery, the changes include sintering,
the fusing together of coarser particles in the body at their points of contact with each
other. In the case of porcelain, where different materials and higher firingtemperatures are used, the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of the
constituents in the body are greatly altered. In all cases, the object of firing is to
permanently harden the wares and the firing regime must be appropriate to the
materials used to make them.
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ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Table 01: Years of practice

SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
0-5 yrs
5-10yrs
6.66
10-20yrs
46.67
More than 20 yrs
46.67
15
100
TOTAL
Years of practice
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
46.67
6.66
46.67
1
0-5
0 yrs0
5-10yrs
10-20yrs
More than 20 yrs
The above table and graph shows that 46.67 per cent of the respondents have been carrying
on pottery business for more than 20 yrs, 46.67 per cent of the respondents have been doing it
for around 10-20 yrs, and 6.66 per cent of them have been doing it from 5-10 yrs.
Table 02: Start up capital

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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
0-10000
13.33
10000-50000
40
50000-100000
46.67
15
100
TOTAL
Start up capital
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
46.67
40
13.33
2
0-10000
10000-50000
50000-100000
The above table and graph shows that 13.33 percent of the respondents started this business
with 0 to 10000 capital, 40 percent of the respondents started with 10000-50000 rupees and
46.67 percent of the respondents started with 50000-100000 rupees.
Table 3: Source of raw material

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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Local
10
Importing from other 4

cities
26.67
Both
6.66
15
100
TOTAL
66.67
Source of raw material

NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
66.67
26.67
10
4
Local
Importing from other cities
6.66
Both
The above table and graph shows that 66.67 percent of the respondents procure raw materials
from local areas, 26.67 percent of the respondents import raw materials from other cities and
6.66 percent of the respondents procure it from local as well as other cities.
Table 4: Types of products

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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Vessels
40
Decorative items
Both
60
15
100
TOTAL
Types of products
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
60
40
Vessels
0
0
Decorative
items
Both
The above table shows that 40 percent of the respondents make vessels, and 60 percent of the
respondents make both vessels and decorative items.
Table 05: Annual Income
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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
5000-10000
10000-50000
60
50000-100000
40
15
100
TOTAL
Annual income
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
60
40
0
0
5000-10000
10000-50000
50000-100000
The above table and graph shows that 60 percent of the respondents have an annual income
between 10000-50000 rupees and 40 percent of the respondents have an annual income
between 50000-100000 rupees.
Table 06: Annual expenditure
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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
5000-10000
46.67
10000-50000
46.67
50000-100000
6.66
15
100
TOTAL
Annual expenditure
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
46.67
PERCENTAGE
46.67
6.66
1
5000-10000
10000-50000
50000-100000
The above table and graph show that 46.67 percent of the respondents incur an annual
expenditure of rupees 5000-10000, another 46.67 percent of the respondents incur expenses
of 10000- 50000 rupees and 6.66 percent of the respondents incur an expense of 50000100000 rupees.
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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
0-10000
6.67
2.
10000-50000
11
73.33
3.
50000-100000
20
15
100
TOTAL
Table 07: Profit
Profit
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
73.33
20
1
11
6.67
0-10000
10000-50000
50000-100000
The above table and graph shows that 6.67 percent of the respondents earn a profit between 0
to 10000 rupees, 73.33 percent of the respondents earn a profit between 10000-50000 rupees
and 20 percent of the respondents earn a profit between 50000-100000 rupees.
SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
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1.
Yes
20
No
12
80
15
100
TOTAL
Table 08: Use of modern technology
Use of modern technology

NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
80
20
12
3
Yes
No
The above table shows that 20 percent of the respondents use modern technology and 80
percent of the respondents do not use modern technology.
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Table 09: Demand for the product
SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Yes
15
100
No
15
100
TOTAL
Demand for the product

NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
100
15
0
Yes
0
No
The above table shows that all the respondents said that there is sufficient demand for the
products.
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Table 10: Selling techniques

SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Direct selling
40
2.
Middlemen
33.33
3.
Both
26.67
15
100
TOTAL
Seliing techniques
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
40
33.33
26.67
Direct selling
Middlemen
Both
The above table and graph shows that 40 percent of the respondents use direct selling as the
selling technique, 33.33 percent of the respondents sell the products through middlemen and
26.67 percent of the respondents use both direct selling as well as middlemen for selling their
products.
Table 11: Advertisement

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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Yes
No
15
100
15
100
TOTAL
Advertisment
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
100
15
Yes
No
The above table and graph shows that all the 15 respondents do not use any type of
advertisement techniques for their products.
Table 12: Target markets
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SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Local market
10
Exporting
cities
to other 0
3.
Exporting
countries
to other 0
4.
All
TOTAL
66.67
33.33
15
100
Target markets
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
66.67
PERCENTAGE
33.33
10
5
0 0
0 0
The above table shows that 66.67 percent of the respondents target the local market and
33.33percent of the respondents target local, other cities as well as other countries for selling
their market.
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Table 13: Interest of the next generation
SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
1.
Yes
No
15
100
15
100
TOTAL
Interest of the next generation

NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
100
15
0
0
Yes
No
The above graph and table shows that all the respondents said that their next generation is not
interested in continuing the business.
Table 14: Government support

SL NO
OPTIONS
NO.
OF PERCENTAGE
RESPONDENTS
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1.
Yes
No
15
100
15
100
TOTAL
Chart Title
NO. OF RESPONDENTS
PERCENTAGE
100
15
0
0
Yes
No
The above table and graph shows that all the respondents said that there is no government
support for the business.
FINDINGS
This study reveals that in order to start pottery business, one should be proficient in
the art of making pots.
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The start up capital required for pottery business is not very high.
The raw materials are locally available but now due to urbanisation, the potters are
finding it difficult to get the raw material and they are unsure about its availability in
future.
The profit from the business ranges from 10000-50000 per annum.
Though modern technology is available, most of the respondents are not using it as it
is not affordable by them.
They are also finding it difficult to have an access to the financial support from the
government as it involves a long and tedious procedure.
The lack of collateral security is also another reason for not being able to get the
financial support.
The potters belonging to Bangalore are using modern technology but the ones
belonging to Dakshin Kannada are not.

The demand for the products is much higher than earlier days.
There a few number of sellers in the market.
Indian pottery products are demanded worldwide.
This study also shows that the rural potters do not advertise their products, hence
they are not able to expand their market.

The potters in the rural area are more confined to the local market, their target market
is also the local market itself.
The potters of Bangalore are in a better position than the ones in Dakshin Kannada as
they are able to export their products to other countries.
There was a preconception that pottery is confined to the rural masses or in fact only
to India, but the study has revealed that pottery is prevalent worldwide and Indian
pottery products are sold worldwide, and also that there is sufficient demand for our
products.
Items made out of clay have become a fashion quotient in the present scenario, hence
pottery industry is gaining importance again.
Most of the exports comprise of decorative items. And the five star hotels also
demand for vessels made out of clay.
Some of the potters use direct selling and some of them depend on the middlemen for
selling their products.
The next generation of the potters are not interested in continuing this business as
they feel that they can earn better income if they start some other business.
The potters are not aware about the opportunities that they can make use of in order
to attract more customers.
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The government has not been able to support the potters in their business.
Though various programmes have been initiated towards encouraging pottery, it has
not been successful in reaching the actual people who are in need of it.
Most of the respondents are illiterates or people with basic education. Hence they
find it difficult to avail the government facilities available to them.
Most of the potters are below the poverty line
They do not proper housing facilities, health care facilities, education for their
children etc.
SUGGESTIONS:
As per the above study we have seen that there are various problems being faced by the
potters or even the pottery industry as whole. So here are some suggestions to overcome the
problems:
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT:
Effective programmes: The lack of support of the government is one of
the major reasons for the downfall of pottery business. The government
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will have to ensure that the programmes initiated are executed in an
effective manner.
Financial support: As finance is one of the problems, government should
see to it that finance is made easily available to the potters. The system of
micro-financing has to be popularised among these people.
Basic facilities: The government has to provide some basic facilities like
housing, healthcare, education etc.
Exhibitions: The government itself can initiate certain exhibitions, sales
etc in order to promote pottery
ADVERTISEMENT:
The potters should advertise their products in order to attract more customers
as advertisement will definitely help in increasing the sales. They need not go
for costly media for advertisement but rather access the ones which would be
cheap as well as effective.
DIVERSIFIYING THE MARKET:
In order to survive in the market, the potters will have to diversify their
market. Rather than confining themselves to the local markets they have to tap
the opportunities available to them in the other unidentified markets.
INDUCING YOUNG PEOPLE:
The present generation is not interested in continuing the business of their
ancestors, or even start up a business in the pottery industry. Hence there is a
great need to induce them to take pottery as a carrier. There are some
youngsters who are very much interested in pottery, but hesitate to venture
into it, such people have to be encouraged and motivated.
AWARENESS PROGRAMMES:
Since most of the potters are not aware about the changes taking place in the
industry, they have to be informed timely with the help of awareness
programmes. This will help them to adapt to changes and make them equipped
with the requirements of the market.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS:
Most of the respondents said that they are not able to afford modern
technology for pot making. This is another reason for getting low returns fron
this business. Hence, there is a need to equip the potters with the latest
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technology in pot making so that Indian potters are not hindered in the
worldwide competition.
TRAINING PROGRAMMES:
Pot making is not an easy task, it requires a lot of skill and patience. Hence the
ones who are interested in pot making can be taught with the help of training
programmes. This will also be a ray of hope to many who are unemployed.
CONCLUSION:
Pottery in India is losing its charm. If right measures are not taken at the right
time there are chances that it would become difficult for us to even find the
traces of pottery in India. As per the study we have seen what are problems
faced by the pottery industry(with the reference to the specified regions). We
have also suggested some measures that can help in boosting this industry and
bringing back its charm.
By identifying all the untapped opportunities there is no doubt that one can
definitely be prosperous in this industry. Making use of the modern means of
advertising and selling techniques can surely benefit the players in this market.
With this study, a few realities have come into the limelight though not all of
them. There is a need of effective implementation of the suggestions so that
there are positive results.
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Alvas College, Moodbidri