culture of India. An abrasive is a material used to shape and finish a work piece through the process of a rubbing which leads to this piece being worn away. It is much like polishing or smoothing a surface out, but can also be used in the making of satin, a matte, or other kinds of finishes. Abrasives can be associated with many things from sanding, cutting and drilling to buffing, honing and grinding. They are used commonly in hardware stores and construction, all the way to being used in your household plumbing and the average workshop. Abrasives can be many different materials and grits, such as calcite, emery, sand, dry ice, to a variety of other materials.

This article will focus on their use in art, mainly ceramics, in India. They are a pertinent part of the creation of many traditional arts from India, many that convey their deep culture. Abrasives are used in a huge amount of ceramic arts in India, and many of these are used to smooth out their works or make imprints of patterns into various ceramics to create the piece. Also they can be used to create textured finishes on many types of material even in walls. This allows for a huge amount of creativity when it comes to creating a pattern. It also allowed for a level of professionalism that is unattainable when creating ceramics by adding the smooth finish, instead of the rough cut finish that would be left without the use of abrasives.

India also has many companies dedicated to making abrasives; many of these companies are quickly grow into profitable businesses now due to the many uses of abrasives, the different styles and grits they are available in and the heavy demand for abrasives from their nation as well as many others. While there are many abrasives companies in the United States as well, we still import a good amount of them from Indian companies. The common use of abrasives has driven it to become a competitive business in the making and selling of them.

With such a huge demand for abrasives all over the world, it is one of the few industries that can have their market clouded with large companies while still being a tangible business opportunity for smaller companies. India has a multitude of smaller entrepreneurs that sell abrasives, and for a price these can even be imported, depending on the company. The competition between small businesses and the larger companies spur on the abrasive industry, making it one of the fastest growing markets out there.

With the variety of uses abrasives have, house hold and otherwise, it is easy to see that this companies and materials won't be going anywhere. There is really no alternative to these materials yet, so this industry will flourish for a long time to come. With the amount of art and business in India, it is no wonder they have a huge abrasive industry that not only fuels their economy, but also promotes their culture. With more money and more options made available everyday in the abrasive business, we can only wait and see what improvements, and what works of art, come out of this industry.