Enhancing export of ceramic tiles for gujarat's ceramic tile manufacturing industry

Abstract

This project examines strategic opportunities and issues in realizing the export potential of Gujarat's ceramic tile manufacturing industry, with an emphasis on the Morbi cluster—India's leading hub for ceramic manufacturing and export. The study seeks to determine infrastructural, regulatory, market-related, and operational factors that affect the export performance of ceramic tile manufacturers. Using a mixed-method research approach, primary data was gathered through structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with the manufacturers and industry stakeholders in Morbi. Secondary data from government reports, trade magazines, and industry databases supplemented them. The findings indicate that even with strong manufacturing capacity, competitive pricing, and access to international markets through well-linked ports like Mundra and Kandla, the exporters are faced with serious challenges and needed to overcome a number of barriers. Among them are anti-dumping duties, poor participation in foreign exhibitions, inefficiencies in logistics, and minimal utilization of digital marketing. Government assistance schemes such as MEIS, EPCG, and interest subsidy alleviate the situation to some extent, but additional emphasis has to be placed on quality control, branding, and policy reforms. The report concludes by proposing targeted interventions in infrastructure, policy support, marketing strategy, and sustainability practices in order to enhance Gujarat's position in the global ceramic tile market.