To plan around Morbi shutdowns and gas price changes, place orders well ahead of known breaks, keep buffer stock of your fast sellers, get price validity in writing and agree in advance how fuel cost changes will be handled. For key products, have a second factory that has already passed your samples and audit.
Fuel is one of the largest production costs for a tile plant, and the whole cluster moves together when it changes. You cannot control that, but you can stop it from catching you without stock.
What happened in 2026
Early in 2026, a crisis in the Middle East raised fuel and freight costs and restricted industrial propane. Several Morbi units suspended operations from mid-March, and gas use recovered by late April.
From 2 September 2026, the local gas distributor raised the industrial gas price for Morbi tile makers from ₹79 to ₹90 per standard cubic metre, before VAT. In August 2026, propane made up about 65% of the cluster's fuel mix, and it was expected to reach about 80% in September. Factories switch between gas and propane depending on which is cheaper. The full background is in how gas prices affect Morbi tile costs.
How shutdowns affect your order
When margins are squeezed, some plants pause lines, run fewer designs or bring forward maintenance. Many factories also close for a break around Diwali. Each of these pushes back production dates and can shrink the range on offer.
Orders already in production are usually finished first. New orders, custom designs and small runs are the ones that wait. Ask each factory about its planned breaks when you place an order, and see tile production lead time in Morbi for normal timelines.
Practical steps
These habits keep your supply steady when the cluster slows down:
- Place orders for peak selling months early, and ahead of the Diwali break.
- Keep buffer stock of your best-selling designs, from the same batch where possible.
- Ask whether a design is in ready stock, which can ship faster than a new run.
- Get the quote's validity period in writing, and confirm the price when you pay the deposit.
- Agree in the contract whether, and how, a fuel cost change can alter the price of an order already confirmed.
- Qualify a second factory for each key product, with approved samples and an audit, before you need it.
- Build a margin into the delivery dates you promise your own customers.
Price changes in the contract
A factory facing a sudden fuel rise may ask to revise prices on open orders. Decide your position before it happens. Some buyers fix the price once the deposit is paid. Others agree a review only for orders not yet in production. Whatever you choose, write it down. A long-term buyer can also agree a review interval, as described in a long-term supply agreement with a tile factory.
Check what your force majeure clause says too. A higher fuel price alone is usually not force majeure, but a government order or a physical supply cut may be.
Next step
We track factory schedules and planned breaks, keep a second qualified supplier ready for your key products and confirm prices in writing before you pay. To plan your next season's orders, book a free sourcing review.