Policy support has been forthcoming from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The Central Board is preparing to issue draft notification for Emission standards and stack height regulation for the Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns. In their opinion, the Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns are energy efficient with low emission levels and do not require high stacks unlike BTKs. Most recently, the Central Board has recommended to the state Pollution Control Board and PCCs to promote VSBK technology for brick making.
 

Brick industry has two profiles of entrepreneurs.

The financing options available to medium scale entrepreneurs are indeed limited as majority of finance is needed for working capital. Banks and financing institutions shy away from providing finance as there are no tangible fixed assets and the traditional brick business is susceptible to vagaries of weather VSBK requires almost 20 times lesser time and investment as compared to clamps and BTKs. Risk for offering credit to VSBK is further reduced as kiln itself act as permanent fixed investment and can be used as collateral security. The pulse of increasing confidence among bankers can be easily assessed from the fact that a loan was sanctioned from ‘Oriental Bank’ Shivpuri (M.P) to a women entrepreneur in short time of just 8 days. Currently more than 6 entrepreneurs have taken loan from bank under KVIC margin money scheme.

From the point of view of banks and financial institutions, Development Alternatives is working towards achieving better technological performance with higher level of appropriate mechanization. This will benefit the entrepreneurs in terms of arranging financing for capital investments. At present, the capital expenditure is on account of mechanized lifting, lifting screw and trolley arrangement, pugging mill and brick extruder.
 

VSBK gives a unique flexibility in brick production where one can easily change his productivity by decreasing or increasing the operations at its shafts.