13 March 2019
The Indian tile industry has witnessed constant growth at a rate of 15% per annum. India has made a place in the top 3 list in terms of the total tile production in countries of the world. With so much progress in the Indian tile industry, export of tiles from India is constantly increasing on yearly basis.
According to The Daily Records’ 2019 list of the Top 10 Best Floor Tile Companies in the World, 4 out of 10 companies are from India. There are many tile manufacturers in India that export tiles to various parts of the globe owing to their exclusive collection of ceramic, vitrified tiles, and other traditional tiles.
Owing to the spate of expansions in the last few years, India has turned to be a highly favored market among the tile importers all over the world. You can import tiles from Morbi, Gujarat or other leading companies that are in the top 10 list of the best tiles companies across the world and make a deal that is worth it.
As a tiles company based in the tile hub of India, we have been catering our tile collections to various countries. It’s been more than two decades in the tiling industry and we came across many importers who confused about the process of importing tiles from India. Here’s an extensive guide for importing tiles from India.
1.
Considering the bigger picture, the main product segments in the overall tile manufacturing in India are wall tile, floor tile, vitrified/porcelain tile, and industrial tile segments. The market share for these segments is 20%, 25%, 50%, and 7% respectively.
Moreover, ceramic tiles make up for a majority of tile imports in India. Also, the vitrified tiles or what we call porcelain tiles manufactured in India are in great demand across the world. Both these tiles segments manufactured in India are available in a variety ofdesigns, textures, and surface effects.
Available in a variety of patterns, the major segments of tiles that are considered by the majority of importers are Double Charge Porcelain, Soluble Salt Nano, Digital Glazed Porcelain, Full Body Porcelain, Digital Ceramic tiles, Step Riser tiles, Pavement tiles, and Wood Look tiles. These are the tile segments that are likely to bring you bounteous business.
2.
The leading manufacturers in India provide the following variety of tiles:
These main product segments along with the traditional wall and floor tile have together made the Indian tile industry grow to a great extent.
3.
While you are sitting overseas in another country and planning to import tile from India, it becomes very crucial to make sure that you choose the right supplier or manufacturer. Tile importers or buyers often fear to strike with a fraud or a manufacturer delivering low-quality products. As you are importing tile from overseas, the fear is obvious. Perhaps, it becomes significant to ensure that you order tiles from the authorized manufacturer.
Here’s what you need to check in order to ensure that the tile manufacturer you chose is right.
4.
There are many provinces in India and a large number of manufacturers that specializes in exporting tiles across the world. The highlight, however, is that many leading suppliers of the tiles are grouped together in a specific region.
Morbi, a district in Saurashtra Gujarat, is the hub of tiling industry in India and there are also various tile factories near Gandhinagar region of Gujarat state also. This region exports a major share of the total tile exports from India. If you are an importer looking to source tiles from India, you can undoubtedly head to Morbi or Gandhinagar, as there are some renowned tile companies in Morbi and Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Key highlights of sourcing tiles from Morbi Gujarat:
You can look for the trustable tile manufacturers on Alibaba and IndiaMART to source tiles from India. If you are directly contacting the tile manufacturer, make sure to check his past records, expertise, and experience.
5.
It is very crucial to ensure the tile supplier or exporter meets your quality expectations. The tiles you source should be durable, long-lasting, and appealing, along with other characteristics of the individual type.
There are various quality checks available for each type of tiles. For instance, you can pour water on the vitrified tiles to check its quality. If the surface of the tile absorbs the water, it means that there is some exploitation with the quality.
We understand that it is difficult to perform such tests while you are sitting in another country. The best you can do is fetch videos of such tests from clients.
There are certain quality certifications issued to the tile manufacturers if they meet the standard quality expectations. Prefer choosing a tile exporter with certifications such as CGCRI tested.
6.
If you are importing tiles or planning to import tiles for the first time, you might be having a lot of queries regarding shipping assurance, packaging, the medium of transit, costs etc.
Here is what you need to know if you are importing tiles from India.
The manufacturer transports the products from his warehouse to the closest Port of Loading.The transportation cost for loading the parcel to the port is usually involved in the Freight on Board (FOB) cost quoted by your manufacturer.
This is the cost of transportation from the Port of Loading to the Port of Destination. This cost is computed based on the cargo like full container load or less than container load.
What if your cargo does not reach you properly or what if tiles break while in transit? – this question would have surely popped in your mind while thinking of importing tiles.
So, confirm with the manufacturer about strong packaging of the tiles and also ask for the insurance of the products in case if any damage or loss occurs while in transit. If you have the insurance, the manufacturer or the forwarder will bear the loss and compensate you for the damage.
The bill of lading, a complete list of the packing and order, commercial list, and other supporting documents are sent to the importer through FedEx or DHL or any other courier company. Usually, the charges of this is paid by the importer.
For imports to the US, a custom bond needs to be filed before the goods are shipped from India.
The cost of transferring to the final destination address from the destination port should be considered.
7.
The standard payment terms with most of the tile manufacturers in India is – 30% deposit in advance at the time of placing an order and the balance 70% upon the completion of the order, before shipping the cargo.
There is a fear of being scammed. However, all you can do is check the background of the manufacturer properly. Also, consider placing a small order first so that you can know how the manufacturer deals.
The payment options you can use are as follows:
This mode is usually accepted by all the manufacturer/ suppliers. There are probable chances of scam. To prevent it, ensure that you are sending money to the stamped/authorized account of the supplier and not to his/her personal account.
This payment mode ensures quick transfer of the payment to the manufacturer/supplier. Mostly, suppliers accept this mode only for a very small order. Also, PayPal charges high intermediary fees.
You can pay through cash if you are visiting the country. Also, if you have placed your order through an agent, you can choose this option if the intermediary allows.
In this mode, the importer does not need to make any advance deposit to the supplier for order below $30,000. You can issue a letter of credit from the bank to the supplier. However, you have to pay the fees to the bank for issuing the L/C.
India adopts the latest trends in the tiling market and leverages cutting-edge technology to stay in line with the newest trend. The potential of tiles market in India is immense, having its hold among the top tile manufacturing countries in the world. With an abundance of skills, raw materials, and infrastructure, the industry enjoys being indigenous and distinctive. Progressing at a continuous rate, Indian tile industry does not seem to look back which makes ita highly preferred country to import quality tiles at an affordable rate andbest terms.
