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Across southern Asia, glazes are in high demand for ceramic tiles, sanitaryware, and tableware. Rapid urbanisation, rising disposable income, and a focus on interior aesthetics are some of the reasons for this increase. The glazing materials market is expected to continue growing during the period 2024-2030, especially with the improvement of the tile and sanitaryware markets in growth economies like Vietnam and India, which are also leading exporters. The ceramic tile industry consumes the most in-house glazes and frits. A recent study estimates the South East Asian ceramic tile industry will reach about $11.5 billion by 2024 and grow at around 7.58% a year from 2024 to 2030. An informative piece in this edition by Jahir Ahmed discusses the growth of glazing in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions.

Indonesia produces more than one billion pieces of ceramic tableware each year in both organised and unorganised sectors. Despite this, the ceramic tableware sector of the country is experiencing a decline in demand due to stagnant purchasing power, inflation, and regional conflicts, which has led to restrictive consumption trends on both domestic and export markets. It is anticipated, however, that the sector will grow from 2024 onwards as the government intends to limit imports to enhance the capacity and viability of the domestic sector. In his analysis of the market and the government’s actions, Jahir Ahmed concludes that the ceramic tableware industry in the nation has very promising prospects.

Heavy clay production in South Asia is one of the world’s most resource-intensive, most polluting, and most energy-intensive industries. The high use of outdated technology, limited product changes, and lack of legislation have caused heavy clay producers to continue using decades-old products and processes. For example, the South Asian brick industry, where heavy clays are commonly used as raw materials due to their specific properties, has been heavily influenced by these practices that have led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprints. In these countries, decarbonisation of the heavy clay industry is one of the most pressing issues. Yogender Singh Malik discusses the decarbonisation options and practices in the heavy clay industry in South Asia in his article.

There have been a number of factors that have adversely affected the ceramic tile markets in ASEAN countries in recent years, such as the Middle East war, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but these markets are expected to rebound in the second half of 2024. While the industrial supply chains, the sourcing of raw materials, and ceramic tile consumption will remain weak for some time until global economic normalcy returns, Jahir Ahmed remains confident that the ASEAN ceramic tile sector is on a clear and solid path going forward.

Traditional casting benches and plaster moulds produce 78% of sanitaryware worldwide. By contrast, roughly 22% of ceramic sanitaryware is produced through high-pressure casting according to leading suppliers of casting equipment. In Yogender Singh Malik’s view though, high pressure casting is the best solution for improving casting efficiency, automating production processes, enhancing quality of final products, and increasing profitability for sanitaryware producers. High-pressure casting, for Malik, is now the new standard for making ceramic sanitaryware of high quality.

Craven Fawcett Limited has a 180-year history of designing and manufacturing heavy ceramics equipment, such as box feeders, grinding mills, mixers, and extruders. This company was founded in 1843 and is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of clay preparation machinery. We have an exclusive interview with Mark Ridgway, CEO, Craven Fawcett, in this edition of Talking Shop.