Gas price is one of the biggest single drivers of Morbi tile costs. Every tile is fired in a kiln running on natural gas or propane, so when fuel rises, production cost rises across the whole cluster within weeks.
For you as a buyer, this shows up in three ways: quotes with short validity, revised quotes, and longer lead times when some plants slow down. This article explains why, with the 2026 figures that are public as of October 2026.
Why fuel matters so much
Tile bodies are dried and then fired at high temperature, and porcelain is fired harder than ceramic wall tile. Spray dryers that prepare the powder also burn fuel. Fuel is one of the largest production costs for a tile plant, alongside raw materials and power.
Morbi kilns moved from coal gasifiers to natural gas after pollution orders around 2019. That cleaned the air but tied the cluster's costs closely to gas and propane markets. Factories now switch between piped gas and propane, depending on which is cheaper at the time. A sharp move in either fuel reaches the whole cluster at once, because almost every plant buys from the same markets.
What changed in 2026
- In early 2026 a Middle East crisis raised fuel and freight costs and restricted industrial propane, and several units suspended operations from mid-March 2026.
- Gas use in the cluster recovered by late April 2026, as plants restarted.
- Propane made up about 65% of the cluster's fuel mix in August 2026, and was expected to reach about 80% in September.
- From 2 September 2026, the local gas distributor, Gujarat Energy Ltd (formerly Gujarat Gas), raised the industrial gas price for Morbi tile makers from ₹79 to ₹90 per standard cubic metre, excluding 6% VAT.
- Long-term users and sanitaryware units get ₹8 off that tariff, at ₹82 per standard cubic metre.
- Before the West Asia crisis, the average gas price had been about ₹48 per standard cubic metre.
Those figures are the tariff for fuel, not the price of tiles. They show how far input costs have moved in one year. The gas figures come from a DeshGujarat report of 3 September 2026.
What it means for your order
Quotes now often carry a validity period, sometimes short, and a clause allowing revision if fuel moves. Read that clause before you pay an advance. Agree in writing whether the price is fixed once the advance is received.
When margins fall, some plants pause lines or shut for maintenance. Orders then wait, and lead times stretch. Our guide to tile production lead time covers how to protect your date.
Fuel pressure can also tempt a weak factory to cut corners. It might fire faster, use a thinner body, or relax sorting. That is why lot inspection matters more, not less, when fuel is expensive. Our article on why quality drops after the first container explains the pattern.
How to plan around it
- Ask each factory which fuel it is running on and how often it revises quotes.
- Confirm orders and advances promptly once a quote is acceptable, rather than letting the validity lapse.
- Ask for the production week in writing, and a written note if a line stops.
- Keep a second audited factory for the same specification, in case your main plant pauses.
Next step
For the other factors that shape a quote, read what drives tile prices. To get current quotes from audited Morbi factories, book a free sourcing review.