India is set to diversify its marble supply chain following Oman’s decision to allow the export of raw marble blocks under a newly signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries. The announcement was made on Friday by India’s Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal.
Oman had prohibited the export of raw marble blocks since 2016 as part of a policy aimed at promoting domestic value addition. Under the new agreement, however, Muscat has agreed—through a quota-based system—to permit exports of rough marble blocks to India, which is the first country to receive such access since the ban was imposed.
According to Minister Goyal, the arrangement will allow India to import marble blocks rather than finished products, enabling domestic manufacturers to process the material into slabs, tiles, and flooring. The move is expected to support India’s marble processing industry, while also reducing the country’s dependence on marble imports from Turkey.
Government representatives emphasized that while many exporting countries prefer to sell finished slabs, raw blocks are strategically important for India’s downstream manufacturing sector. “Blocks can be converted into slabs and used locally. From our perspective, this makes more economic sense than importing finished slabs directly,” an official said.
Authorities added that the imports could help address domestic supply gaps, including shortages of varieties such as Makrana White marble. However, they noted that Omani marble may not be suitable for heavy-use flooring due to its flaky texture, and is likely better suited for decorative applications.
India’s marble industry is estimated to be worth approximately $4.8–5 billion, with annual imports of raw marble blocks standing at around 1.3 million metric tonnes. Turkey accounts for a significant share of these imports, followed by Italy and the United Arab Emirates. In the last financial year, India’s total imports of marble blocks were approximately $339.8 million.
The CEPA between India and Oman is India’s sixth free trade agreement in the past four years and its second with a West Asian country, following a similar pact with the United Arab Emirates in 2022. Under the agreement, Indian exporters will receive duty-free access to nearly 96% of tariff lines in the Omani market immediately, with an additional 2% to be gradually phased out over the coming years.
Bilateral trade between India and Oman stood at $10.61 billion in FY 2024–25 and is expected to grow further once the agreement is fully operational. Industry stakeholders view the provision on marble block exports as a practical step to strengthen bilateral trade while supporting domestic manufacturing and employment generation in India.
