Blue pottery tiles, washbasins and door knobs workshop

This workshop makes Jaipur blue pottery for use in buildings: wall tiles, border strips, washbasins, door and drawer knobs, and lamp bases, in standard sizes and to custom designs. Orders come from people doing up a house, a café or a hotel.

Blue pottery is one of Jaipur's best-known crafts, and the district still has trained potters and painters. It is unusual because no clay is used. It is made from quartz powder, powdered glass and fuller's earth, then glazed and fired at a low heat. Much of it is sold as loose decorative pieces to traders who add the retail margin. Making fittings lets you sell your own designs at your own price.

You need a workshop with a kiln, moulds, a grinder, drying racks and two or three skilled artisans. The honest difficulty is breakage and matching. Low firing makes this pottery more fragile than normal ceramic, so it suits walls, basins and knobs but not floors. It also needs careful packing. Every tile in an order must match in colour and size, so budget for rejects while you learn.

Build a catalogue with clear photos and sizes, visit interior designers and architects in Jaipur, and approach heritage hotels and restaurants in the city. Sell to other cities once you can ship without breakage.