Vitrified tiles from India are floor tiles with a dense body, and porcelain tiles in India usually mean the same thing in export trade. A tile that absorbs 0.5% water or less is classed as porcelain under ISO 13006, and most Indian vitrified floor tiles meet that.
So the useful question is not vitrified or porcelain. It is which construction, size and finish, and how consistently a factory delivers them. For the naming, see ceramic vs porcelain vs vitrified tiles.
Which body types are normal for export?
Indian floor tiles come in four constructions you will see on most quotations:
- Glazed vitrified tile (GVT) has a printed and glazed surface over a pressed body, and is the largest category by design range.
- Polished glazed vitrified tile (PGVT) has a glossy surface with a deep, glass-like look.
- Double-charge tiles have two layers of body material, a pigmented top layer over a base layer.
- Full-body tiles have colour running through the thickness, so wear and chips are less visible.
What sizes and finishes are standard?
Common floor formats are 600x600, 600x1200, 800x800 and 800x1600 mm, with larger formats from plants that have the presses. Standard floor tile sizes in Morbi lists the nominal sizes and actual dimensions, which differ slightly from the names.
Finishes include glossy, matt, satin and carving surfaces. Digital printing lets factories copy marble, stone, wood and concrete, and new designs appear several times a year. Make sure you know which surface you are buying, because slip resistance and cleaning behaviour differ.
Thickness and strength are worth writing down. Floor tiles are commonly in the range of 8 to 12 mm, and the right figure depends on size and use, so state the thickness and its tolerance in the order. Ask for the breaking strength result on the actual size you are buying, because a large thin tile can score differently from a small one. See floor tile thickness and breaking strength.
If the floor will see heavy use, ask for the abrasion class and the slip result as well. A glossy polished surface looks good in the showroom but behaves differently when wet, and the R rating guide explains what to request.
Where does quality vary between factories?
Two factories can quote the same size and design and deliver very different boxes. These are the points to specify and test:
- Calibre, meaning the size variation between tiles, which decides whether joints look even.
- Shade, meaning colour variation within and between production batches.
- Flatness and warpage, which affect how the floor lays.
- Number of print faces per design, because too few faces make repeating patterns obvious.
- Grade sorting, since a box labelled Premium may contain tiles another plant would call Standard.
How do you control this in the contract?
Write the grade, calibre and shade rules into the order, and tie them to a test report and a pre-shipment inspection. Tile grades explained sets out what each grade should mean, and how to write a specification for vitrified floor tiles gives you the checklist.
Ask for the sorting method as well. A plant that sorts by machine and by eye, and records the shade and calibre code on every box, is far easier to reorder from than one that does not.
Next step
We shortlist plants that match your specification, check samples and lab reports, and supervise loading so the container matches what you approved. To see what that looks like for your range, book a free sourcing review.