Strait of Hormuz Blockade Disrupts Propane-LPG Imports for Morbi Tile Units

Ceramic factories in Morbi suspend operations due to gas supply shortages linked to the West Asia conflict. The disruption highlights dependence of the ceramic industry on imported fuel and critical minerals.

Ceramic Industry (Morbi, India):

Dimension	Key Details
Ceramic Definition	Is inorganic, non-metallic solid material.
Raw Materials	Comprises clay, silica, feldspar, kaolin, and alumina.
Manufacturing Process	Comprises shaping, drying, and firing at high temperatures.
Structure	Comprises crystalline, glassy, or mixed forms.
Properties	Comprises high hardness and compressive strength, brittleness, chemical inertness, heat resistance, and insulating nature.
Critical Minerals Link	Comprises dependence on alumina, silica, zirconium, and rare earth elements.
Modern Applications	Comprises construction, electronics, medicine, defence, energy, and space applications.
Morbi Location	Is located in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
Production Share	Provides for about 90% of India’s ceramic tile production.
Fuel Dependency	Provides for dependence on propane-LPG imports from the Persian Gulf.
Crisis Cause	Provides for gas supply disruption due to Strait of Hormuz blockade linked to West Asia conflict.
Global Position	Provides for India being the second largest ceramic tile producer.
Exports	Comprises exports to USA, Europe, and Middle East.
CGCRI	Is established in 1950 under CSIR at Kolkata for research in glass, ceramics, refractories, and advanced materials.