Pug Mill Machinery Support for Terracotta Artisans…
A Livelihood Enhancement & Capacity Building Initiative…

Place: Malpura, Raj.
Month: Nov-2025

SETU is associated with various pottery artisans producing terracotta, blue pottery & ceramic artefacts. One such terracotta artisan group was facing many challenges due to lack of a proper clay mixing machinery.

Terracotta artisans rely on traditional, labor-intensive methods for clay preparation, which is a critical stage in the production process. Manual clay mixing and kneading is time-consuming, physically strenuous, and often results in inconsistent clay quality, directly affecting product strength, finish, and rejection rates.

Therefore, SETU Society sponsored pug mill clay mixing machinery, designed to efficiently mix, knead, and de-air clay, ensuring uniform texture and workability required for high-quality terracotta products.

Following benefits were observed with the new machinery:

• Significant reduction in manual labor, easing physical strain and health issues related to prolonged kneading
• Homogeneous clay consistency and strength, leading to better product finish and lower rejection rates
• Increased production capacity by 60%, enabling artisans to take larger and time-bound orders
• Time and cost savings, allowing artisans to focus more on design and value-added activities
• Enhanced product quality, improving market acceptance and price realization
• Higher and more stable incomes due to improved efficiency and reduced losses

Thus, the intervention has resulted in improved productivity, product quality, income enhancement, and reduced physical drudgery, contributing to sustainable and dignified livelihoods for grassroot artisans. This also encourages younger artisans to continue the traditional terracotta craft.

This ultimately promotes livelihood promotion and poverty reduction, skill development and capacity building, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, preservation and strengthening of traditional crafts.