KATHMANDU, Nov 14: Tile Wars, a Spain-based international trade publication focused on the ceramic tile industry, has published an analysis of Nepal’s growing tile manufacturing sector, highlighting how domestic factories are increasingly competing with suppliers from China and India, according to a press release.
The publication’s analysis looks at how Nepali manufacturers have begun supplying a market that has long depended heavily on imports, including from India’s major tile-making cluster in Morbi.
According to the press release, Tile Wars highlighted Lumbini Ceramics’ factory in Gulariya, Bardiya, where the company manufactures fully vitrified tiles under the Laminar brand. The company estimates that it accounts for around 25 percent of Nepal’s tile market and has begun exporting tiles to Uttar Pradesh in India.
Taika Waititi In Talks To Star In His Own ‘Star Wars’ Movie
Lumbini Ceramics Managing Director Ashutosh Khetan said imported tiles once met nearly all of Nepal’s domestic demand but later accounted for about one-fifth of the market, according to the press release.
Bardiya is among several locations where tile production has expanded. Republica previously reported that a factory had begun manufacturing ceramic tiles in Jitpur Simara, Bara.
The press release said Tile Wars identified shorter delivery times as an advantage for domestic manufacturers. Imported tiles have to go through cross-border transportation and customs clearance, while local factories can replenish orders from within the country.
The Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has certified Laminar and Cresta under NS 617:2082 in the fully vitrified and porcelain tile categories, respectively, according to the press release. The classifications provide retailers and construction professionals with a basis for comparing products based on characteristics such as water absorption.
Tile Wars also highlighted product certification, shorter supply chains and the use of European technology in a LinkedIn post about its analysis of Nepal’s tile industry, the press release said.
