If you have come to this page looking for the truth about eco resin in India, you are probably asking some version of the same question. What is eco resin? Is it the same as Jesmonite? Is it safer than epoxy? Which option actually makes sense for an Indian studio working today?
I'm Anirudh Rapole, the founder of Artriso. We make CALSO ONE, an Indian water-based eco resin built in Hyderabad. This guide is the one I wish existed when I started casting. It covers what eco resin actually is, how it works, how it compares to the alternatives, and what to look for when you buy.
No marketing fluff. No hype. Just the explanation a serious maker needs before committing studio budget.
What "eco resin" actually means
"Eco resin" is a working term for water-based acrylic casting materials. The technical name is water-based acrylic resin, sometimes called acrylic composite or mineral-acrylic casting compound. The "eco" prefix is shorthand for two facts about the chemistry: it cures without solvents, and it does not off-gas the way traditional epoxy and polyester resins do.
That is the entire elevator pitch. It is resin you can pour indoors, without a respirator, without fumes filling the room, that hardens into a strong, matte, mineral-looking finish.
What it is not: an organic, fully compostable, plant-based material. The honest framing is "much less polluting than epoxy", not "zero impact". Anyone selling you eco resin as a fully biodegradable product is overselling. We will not.
How eco resin works, briefly
There are two formats in the market.
The first is a two-component system: a mineral-loaded powder plus a separate acrylic liquid dispersion. You combine them in a ratio (typically 2 to 1 or 2.5 to 1 by weight) and the acrylic binds the mineral filler as it cures. Jesmonite is the global benchmark for this format.
The second is a single-component system: a powder pre-blended with all the acrylic chemistry it needs to cure, activated by water alone. You mix in a 3:1 powder-to-water ratio by weight. CALSO ONE is the Indian benchmark for this format.
Both cure by chemical reaction, not by drying. Both produce a finished piece that is hard, matte, slightly mineral to the touch, takes pigment cleanly, and can be sanded, sealed, and polished. The differences between them are workflow, price point, and brand positioning, which we will get to.
Why eco resin took off in India
The Indian resin art scene before 2022 was almost entirely epoxy. Epoxy is cheap per kilo, the finish is glassy and dramatic, and the technique was widely taught on YouTube. It is also a category of chemistry that is genuinely unpleasant to work with at scale.
Three things changed.
First, Instagram and Pinterest globalised the matte, mineral, terrazzo-look aesthetic. Buyers stopped wanting glassy keychains and started wanting matte coasters, sculpture, and small interiors objects. Eco resin produces that finish natively.
Second, working makers started running into the long-term cost of epoxy. The PPE. The room ventilation. The yellowed pieces from a batch you poured 18 months ago. The headaches after a long workshop. None of that is sustainable for a small studio scaling up.
Third, more eco resin options became available in India. Jesmonite is the global reference standard and is sold in India through its official channel at roughly ₹900 per kilogram. CALSO ONE, our Hyderabad-made single-component line, sits in the ₹413 to ₹699 per kilogram band depending on pack size and shade. Indian makers now have a real choice between a global premium brand and a more accessible domestically-made option in the same category.
If you are coming from the Jesmonite world specifically, the jesmonite alternative in India guide is the deep dive on that switch.
Eco resin vs epoxy: a real comparison
This is the comparison that matters most for newer makers. Here it is in plain terms.
| Factor | Eco Resin (CALSO ONE, Jesmonite) | Epoxy Resin |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Water-based acrylic | Solvent-cured polymer |
| Indoor pouring | Safe with basic ventilation | Requires strong ventilation and respirator |
| Smell | Almost none | Strong, lingers for hours |
| Cure time | 45 to 90 minutes to demould | 12 to 72 hours to demould |
| Finish | Matte, mineral, sandable | Glossy, plasticky, polishable |
| Pigment behaviour | Reads true to pigment colour | Often shifts warmer, yellows over time |
| UV stability | High | Moderate to low |
| Workshop suitability | High (safe with students) | Low (PPE and supervision needed) |
| Cost per kg in India | ₹413 to ₹900 depending on brand and pack | ₹600 to ₹1,400 |
| Long-term yellowing | Minimal | Visible in 6 to 18 months |
Epoxy still has its place. If you are casting clear pours, embedding objects, doing river tables, or building deep glassy finishes, epoxy is the right material. For matte coasters, trays, planters, sculpture, decor, and most modern Indian studio output, eco resin is the right material.
The cost gap closes faster than it looks. Epoxy looks cheaper per kilo on paper. Once you add the cost of PPE, ventilation upgrades, slower production cycle, and the pieces that yellow before they sell, eco resin is cost-competitive at studio scale. We have run the numbers with three of our biggest accounts. They all confirmed the same conclusion.
The 3:1 mixing chapter (the one most guides skip)
If you take one thing away from this page, take this. The single biggest cause of failed eco resin casts in India is wrong mixing.
For single-component eco resin like CALSO ONE, the ratio is 3 parts powder to 1 part water, measured by weight, not by volume. A kitchen scale is not optional.
Here is the studio-standard mixing protocol we ship with every CALSO ONE pack.
Weigh your powder first. 300 grams is a good test batch and pours into roughly four standard coaster moulds.
Add water to that powder, not the other way around. 100 grams of water for 300 grams of powder.
Mix continuously for 60 to 90 seconds. Use a silicone spatula or a small paint mixer attachment on a low-speed drill. The texture you are aiming for is thick paint or smooth pancake batter.
Avoid trapping air. Long folding strokes, no whipping. If you see bubbles, tap the bowl on the counter twice to release them before pouring.
Pour within 8 minutes. Pot life is 12 to 15 minutes from first water contact. You will lose workability after that.
Wait. Demould thin coasters in 45 minutes, mid-size trays in 60 to 90 minutes, thick or sculptural pieces in 2 to 3 hours. Full cure is 24 hours.
This is the entire process. If you nail the ratio, the cast will work. If you eyeball the water, no amount of pigment skill saves the pour.
Pigments, additives, and what plays well with eco resin
Eco resin is forgiving about pigment, less forgiving about everything else.
What works: water-based acrylic pigment pastes, mica powders, oxide-based mineral pigments, food-grade pigment dispersions, and dry colour additives blended into the powder before water contact. Most of these are available in India from speciality art suppliers.
What you should test before committing: alcohol inks (the finish can read patchy), oil-based pigments (they refuse to disperse), and metallic foil leaf (works for surface treatment, not as a mix-in).
What you should not do: do not add household solvents, do not add raw water-based paint at high volumes (it disrupts the cure), and do not exceed a pigment-to-resin ratio of about 5 percent by weight without testing first. Heavily-pigmented batches can cure soft or stay tacky in the centre.
For a deeper write-up on the practical workflow differences between Artriso and Jesmonite, see the Artriso vs Jesmonite breakdown.
Best uses for eco resin in an Indian studio
Eco resin earns its place across a specific range of work. The use cases below are the ones we see most often across the CALSO ONE customer base.
Coasters and trays. The defining product of the modern Indian resin studio. Eco resin's matte mineral finish reads premium, takes pigment richly, and survives daily use once sealed. This is the category where the per-piece economics are most attractive.
Decor objects. Bookends, paperweights, sculptural pieces, modular interior decor. The mineral weight of cast eco resin gives objects a satisfying density and a finish that pairs with linen, oak, ceramic, and brass.
Branded gifting. Corporate gifting in India has shifted toward natural, mineral, plant-friendly materials. Eco resin produces gifts that photograph well and feel substantial in hand.
Workshop output. Eco resin is the right material for any class with adults or teenagers because the chemistry is safe with basic ventilation and the demould time is short enough to send students home with their piece on the same day.
Small-batch interiors. Wall tiles, vanity trays, lamp bases, planters. Eco resin scales up to larger castings, with care taken on mould support and cure time.
Where eco resin is not the right answer: deep clear pours, river tables, transparent jewellery embeds, and any application that requires optical clarity. That is epoxy territory. Use the right tool for the job.
What to look for when buying eco resin in India
The Indian eco resin market is still small, and the quality differences are real. Here is the checklist we suggest to any studio shopping seriously.
Ask about the chemistry. Single-component (just add water) or two-component (powder plus liquid)? Both are valid. You should know which you are buying.
Ask for the mixing ratio in writing. A serious manufacturer will tell you the exact ratio, by weight, with a tolerance range.
Ask where it is made and how it ships. Domestic Indian production means shorter restock cycles, no currency volatility on the per-kilo price, and a direct line to the manufacturer when something needs attention. Both Jesmonite (via its official Indian channel) and CALSO ONE (made in Hyderabad) are available with reasonable Indian delivery timelines.
Ask about batch dates. Powder loses workability if it absorbs ambient humidity during long warehouse storage. A fresh batch is the difference between a clean cure and a chalky surface.
Ask for a small test pack. Any manufacturer confident in the product will sell you 500 grams to 1 kilo for a bench test before committing to a studio order. We do, every brand worth its label does.
Ask about colour consistency. If you are doing matched-set work (a six-coaster set, a tile installation), batch-to-batch shade variation matters enormously. CALSO ONE is calibrated to within a tight Lab tolerance across the CALSO ONE base collection. Not every Indian eco resin holds that line.
Where Artriso fits in this market
A short, honest summary, because this is a pillar guide and you deserve to know who is writing it.
Artriso is a Hyderabad-based studio that makes eco resin for Indian makers. Our flagship product is CALSO ONE, a single-component water-based acrylic resin you mix 3:1 with water. The most-ordered colourway is CALSO ONE Off White, which is the studio-standard for pigment calibration. We also sell silicone moulds and starter kits for makers building a workflow from scratch.
The reason CALSO ONE exists is to give Indian makers a more accessible option in this category. Jesmonite remains the global premium reference and is the right product for many buyers. CALSO ONE is the simpler single-component, lower-price-point, domestically-made alternative for makers who want a serious eco resin without the Jesmonite price point or the two-part workflow.
Where to go from here
If you are completely new, order a one-kilo test pack and read the mixing chapter above before your first pour. Most first failures are mixing failures, not pigment failures.
If you are coming from epoxy, treat eco resin as a new medium. The pot life is shorter, the finish is matte not glossy, and the pigment behaviour is different. Expect a learning week.
If you are coming from Jesmonite, the jesmonite alternative in India guide is your shortcut. The category is the same, but the workflow is simpler and the price point is meaningfully lower.
If you have a question that this guide did not answer, write to me. contact@artriso.com. I read every email and reply within two working days.
Frequently asked questions
Is eco resin actually eco-friendly?
Eco resin is significantly less polluting than epoxy and polyester resins, but it is not biodegradable or compostable. The "eco" framing is honest in three specific ways: it cures without solvents, it has minimal VOC emissions during pour, and the finished pieces do not off-gas over time. If a maker tells you eco resin is fully natural or fully plant-based, that is overselling. The right framing is "much less polluting than the alternatives", not "zero impact".
What is the difference between CALSO ONE and Jesmonite?
CALSO ONE is a single-component eco resin made in Hyderabad: you add water in a 3:1 ratio. Jesmonite is the global reference standard in this category, a two-component system that combines powder with a separate acrylic liquid in a 2.5:1 ratio, sold in India through its official channel. The finished pieces look similar once cured and finished. The main practical differences are workflow (single-component is simpler to learn and teach) and price point (CALSO ONE retails between ₹413 and ₹699 per kilogram across pack sizes, against approximately ₹900 per kilogram for Jesmonite). Both are good products. They sit at different positions in the same category.
Can I sell products made with eco resin?
Yes. Eco resin is the standard material for commercial Indian resin studios casting coasters, trays, decor, and gifting. There are no specific regulatory restrictions on selling cast eco resin pieces in India for decor or gifting use. For food-contact applications, you should apply a food-safe sealer or position the products as decor only. The same standard applies whether you are using CALSO ONE, Jesmonite, or any other water-based casting resin in market.
Anirudh Rapole is the founder of Artriso, the Hyderabad studio behind CALSO ONE, India's water-based eco resin. Have a question this guide did not answer? Email contact@artriso.com.
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