Most Indian tiles for export come from Morbi in Gujarat, a cluster of several hundred factories. The Gujarat government said in January 2026 that the district accounts for roughly 80 to 90% of India's ceramic exports, so Morbi tiles export is where most first orders start.
Finding Indian tiles manufacturers is easy. Finding the right one for your market is the work. The range is wide, quality varies from plant to plant, and the paperwork depends on where you sell.
What categories can you buy?
Indian ceramic tiles export covers more than floor tiles. These are the main families, each with its own factories and quirks:
- Glazed and polished vitrified floor tiles, including double-charge and full-body types.
- Ceramic and digital wall tiles, with matching decor and highlighter pieces.
- Large-format tiles and porcelain slabs for floors, cladding and countertops.
- Heavy-duty parking tiles and 20 mm outdoor pavers.
- Sanitaryware, mainly toilets and wash basins, from Morbi and Thangadh.
- Roofing tiles, plus raw materials such as frit and glaze for other tile makers.
How does the cluster affect what you get?
Morbi's strength is that clay, glaze, machinery, packaging and ports are all close by, which is covered in why Morbi is a world tile hub. Competition between plants keeps cost positions sharp.
The same competition means two neighbouring plants can make the same design to different standards. They may sort grades differently, hold different calibre tolerances and pack to different levels. Choosing the factory matters more than choosing the town, and how to find a genuine tile manufacturer in Morbi explains how to separate factories from traders.
What are the steps for a first order?
Follow the same order every time. Skipping a step is the usual cause of a bad first container.
- Write a specification: body type, size, thickness, finish, grade, number of faces and the standard you need to meet.
- Check which documents and conformity schemes your destination requires before you shortlist anyone.
- Shortlist factories that already ship to markets like yours and confirm what they make themselves.
- Order samples and keep a counter-sample, as described in how to get tile samples from Morbi factories.
- Have the sample tested by an accredited laboratory against your specification, using the tests listed here.
- Agree one written contract covering shade, calibre, grade, packing, payment and a rejection procedure.
- Inspect during production and at loading, and keep the documents in order for your broker.
What do duties and documents depend on?
Your destination decides the paperwork, the conformity mark and the trade remedy duties. As of October 2026 the EU and Gulf states apply anti-dumping duties to Indian ceramic tiles and the US applies a countervailing duty, with rates set exporter by exporter. The main export markets for Morbi tiles article shows how each region shapes an order.
Confirm the current position for your market with your customs broker before you commit to a price or a factory.
Keep your first order simple. One or two designs, one size family and one destination give you a clean test of the factory before you widen the range. Growing the range after the first container matches the sample is far safer than starting wide.
Next step
We find and audit manufacturers, check samples and documents, have lots tested, and supervise production and loading, for one written fee agreed in advance. See how it works, or book a free sourcing review and we will map your product and market to the right factories.