- By Shubham Bajpai
- Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
As many as 170 ceramic factories in Gujarat's Morbi have shut in the wake of war in the Middle East as the conflict has caused propane shortage, affecting the export-driven trade.
The threat still persists as the gas supply disruption can further hit the ceramic capital with experts estimating about 450 units could shut down in coming days.
The ceramic manufacturing runs primarily on propane and natural gas. Natural gas is supplied through Gujarat Gas while propane is sourced from private suppliers and tanker agents.
Due to the war, the supply chain has been disrupted. As a result, not only the gas supply is disrupted but also consignments worth rupees crores are stranded.
Workers, transporters face employment
The ripple effect of the war has exerted pressure across the industry, including workers and other manpower linked to the business.
Lakhs of transporters bringing raw material and taking away the finished product will be impacted along with labourers and officials due to shutdown.
According to a report by The New Indian Express, the ceramic sector in Morbi employs over four lakh people directly and indirectly. Each factory is said to be employing typically around 250–300 workers.
The construction sector, which sees a major use of tiles and other ceramic products, so will the construction sector, where the tiles are widely used, and the lakhs of workers employed there.
Among other sectors that are hit are Morbi's paper mill units, which supplies packaging materials to the ceramic industry.
The report stated that Morbi hosts nearly 200 polypack factories. In these units nearly 20,000 people get employment direct and indirect. The plastic packaging materials manufactured in these factories is widely used by industries across India.