Optimising the journey from quary to your home.
The stone and marble processing industry involves extracting, cutting, shaping, finishing, and distributing natural stones like marble, granite, limestone, and other similar materials for construction, decorative, and industrial purposes. This industry plays a significant role in various sectors, including construction (residential, commercial, and infrastructure), furniture, sculpture, and even art.
A large part of the stone and marble industry in India remains unorganized. This limits the adoption of modern technology, results in inefficiencies, and creates challenges in achieving economies of scale. Due to the fragmented nature of the industry, there is little standardization in terms of quality, pricing, or grading of stones, leading to inconsistent product quality.
Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this sector still rely on outdated cutting and polishing technologies, which leads to higher wastage, lower productivity, and inferior quality of finished products. Older machinery consumes a lot of energy, contributing to higher operating costs.
The stone and marble processing industry requires skilled labor for cutting, polishing, and finishing work. However, there is often a shortage of such skilled workers, which hampers productivity and quality. Working conditions in some processing units can be hazardous due to poor safety protocols and inadequate protective gear, leading to frequent accidents and health issues.
The bulkiness and weight of stone and marble make transportation costly, especially given the poor state of roads in many quarrying regions. In addition, fluctuations in fuel prices can further escalate logistics costs. Exporting stones is another challenge due to inadequate port infrastructure, high shipping costs, and complex customs procedures. Wastages due material breakage during transport or processing only adds to the overall cost.
The prices of marble and other stones fluctuate due to market demand, availability, and geopolitical factors. This makes it difficult for companies to maintain stable margins. Many companies rely on a few quarries for their raw material supply, which can lead to vulnerability in case of disruptions such as government bans, strikes, or depletion of reserves.
