Pottery has been called the lyric of handicrafts because of its irresistible and universal appeal. There is a wide range of pottery and clay crafts in India.

Some of the most popular forms of pottery include blue pottery, black and red pottery, roulette ware, and dull red & grey ware. The craft faces severe competition from industrial goods made up of aluminium and plastic.

India has a rich tradition of clay crafts and pottery throughout the country. Asharikandi in Assam is the largest cluster in India, where terracotta and pottery craft is found. Other clusters are Bhadrawati, Bulandshahar, Nizamabad, Pune, Chandrapur, etc.

Potters is the fourth largest amongst the artisanal groups in India. It is estimated that about 10 lakh people79 are involved in this craft.

The main raw material for this craft is ordinary clay, derived from the beds of water bodies. One major challenge for the potters is the rapid depletion of suitable clay. Water, catechu, red-soil, cattle dung, firewood, sand paper, hay, wood, ash, bricks for the kiln etc. are other materials used in pottery