Morbi called the Ceramic City
Morbi is considered to be the second largest ceramics cluster in the world, with offices of Italian and Spanish tile machinery manufacturers and a concentration of small and medium scale units. Its ceramic manufacturing industry is very price sensitive and stands resolute in its quest for quality.
Exports from Morbi are estimated at Rs 10,000 crore. The ceramics industry in India has the potential to double its turnover by 2020, driven by growing domestic demand and exports to markets in the Middle East and Europe. India is also poised to compete with China, the largest exporter of ceramics, which commands around 40% of the global market. For this reason, the Morbi ceramics cluster is organising its second edition of ‘Vibrant Ceramics’ to attract more customers and business.
Today, the Indian ceramics industry has recovered from the recent economic crisis, and more than half the factories that had shut down have reopened. In addition, other factories have increased their production capacities and have begun ramping up their production. The Edelweiss Research team met with officials of the morbi ceramic Association, a group of more than 950 ceramic manufacturing factories that account for over 80% of the country’s ceramics production. The cluster is increasingly looking outside the Indian market, and is aiming to expand to the world’s leading markets.
Why is Morbi called the Ceramic City of India?
The ceramics industry in Morbi has been on an upward trajectory for years. The city is home to the world’s largest ceramic hub, contributing about 13% of global ceramic production. This puts India’s ceramic sector in second place, only behind China. In the past 20 years, Morbi has generated employment for 10 million people. It has transformed itself from a traditional tile-making town into a modern, automated tile-producing hub. Today, Morbi produces 14,000 square meters of tile daily.
Morbi is also home to the largest manufacturer of floor tiles in India, the Metro Group. Morbi is the headquarters of this organisation, which has offices of globally renowned Italian & European tile machinery manufacturers. The company’s operations include production of porcelain, vitrified, and digital tiles.
The growth of industries is a major driving force in the region. The local population is very hard working and brave. It is common to see people engaged in multiple trades in Morbi. They are not hesitant to invest in small and medium scale units when they find that they can make profits in it. The paper industry, which is relatively new, is also making good strides and is proving to be a competitive factor among other industries.
Several paper mills have been established in Morbi. The first one, Divyam Paper Mills, started operation in 1995. The demand for paper increased in the region and the paper industry grew. In 2015, there were around 15 paper mills in the region. Today, there are 35 paper mills in the region, with combined capacity of 4500 TPD.