Morbi: Over 400 ceramic manufacturing units in Gujarat’s Morbi, one of the world’s biggest ceramic clusters, have decided to suspend operations for over three weeks till April 10–15 due to disruption in gas supply following the ongoing West Asia conflict, industry leaders said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Morbi Ceramic Manufacturers Association after fuel shortages worsened due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, amid the military conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The ceramics industry depends heavily on propane and natural gas, which are essential for kiln firing and drying processes.

Association president Manoj Arvadiya said around 430 ceramic units have already shut down as gas supply has nearly stopped. “Units using propane were the first to close after supply was exhausted, and later several natural gas-based units also suspended operations. It has been collectively decided that these units will remain shut for about 20–25 days, and the situation will be reviewed around April 10–15,” he said.

Industry representatives said Morbi has about 600–650 ceramic manufacturing units, of which a majority produce tiles, while some units (around 150) making sanitary ware and technical ceramics are still operating at reduced capacity due to lower gas consumption. The industry consumes large quantities of propane delivered through tankers as well as natural gas supplied through pipelines, both of which have been affected after the Gulf supply chain was disrupted.

Leaders said propane supply from oil companies stopped earlier this month as priority was given to domestic LPG distribution, while natural gas supply was also reduced due to limited availability of imported fuel. In several cases, units continued production using remaining stock, but most have now halted manufacturing.

Morbi’s ceramic industry accounts for nearly 90 per cent of India’s total ceramic production and is valued at around ₹60,000–75,000 crore annually. The sector produces wall and floor tiles, vitrified tiles, sanitary ware and industrial ceramics, and exports a significant share to overseas markets.

The shutdown has also affected labour movement in the region, with many migrant workers returning to their home states as factories stop production, while some units are using the closure period for maintenance work. Industry leaders said the situation will be reviewed next month depending on fuel availability and developments in the West Asia crisis. DeshGujarat