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Export granite and natural stone

Polished granite slabs, monuments and sandstone from South India and Rajasthan; the USA leads.

Free to exportHS 6802
HS code
6802
Worked monumental or building stone — polished granite and marble slabs, tiles, monuments and cut-to-size stone. Rough granite blocks are HS 2516.
Export policy
Free to export
Worked stone is free to export. Check Schedule 2 separately if you plan to ship raw blocks (Chapter 25).
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 1.17 bn
to 154 countries

What is exported

Granite comes from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; sandstone, marble and slate largely from Rajasthan. Buyers are stone importers, fabricators and memorial makers. In 2025-26 India exported about US$ 1.2 billion under HS 6802; the USA led, followed by Vietnam, the UK, the UAE and Germany.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Polished granite slabs and tilesBlack, red and multicolour granites for floors, worktops and cladding.
  • Granite monuments and memorialsHeadstones cut to size for the UK, USA, Japan and Europe.
  • Marble and sandstone productsMakrana and Rajsamand marble, Kota stone and sandstone pavers from Rajasthan.
  • Stone handicraftsCarved marble and soft-stone art-ware — a separate drawback line.
  • Rough granite blocksRaw blocks under HS 2516 (mainly to China) — check export policy for the stone before you sign.

Where it is grown or made

  • Tamil NaduKrishnagiri and Dharmapuri — granite quarries and processing units
  • Andhra PradeshPrakasam (Ongole, Chimakurthy) — black galaxy granite
  • TelanganaKhammam and Karimnagar
  • KarnatakaBengaluru — processing and export units
  • RajasthanJalore (granite), Makrana, Rajsamand and Kishangarh (marble)

Export packing

  • Slabs ship upright on ISPM-15 treated wooden A-frames or bundles; tiles go in wooden crates with foam between faces.
  • Polished faces are protected with film; each crate shows size, thickness, finish and number of pieces.
  • Lash crates well inside the container — shifting stone is a major cause of breakage claims.

Who buys abroad

  • Stone importers and fabricators who cut worktops
  • Monument makers and memorial wholesalers
  • Building contractors and developers
  • Landscaping and paving suppliers

The quality buyers ask for

US specification
ASTM C615 for granite dimension stone sets minimum density and strength and maximum water absorption; tests by ASTM C97, C170, C99 and C880
European standards
EN 1341 (paving slabs), EN 1342 (setts), EN 1343 (kerbs), EN 1469 (cladding slabs), EN 12057 (modular tiles) and EN 12058 (floor and stair slabs)
Physical properties
Water absorption, apparent density, flexural strength, frost resistance and slip resistance, declared from tests
Dimensions and finish
Slab or tile size, thickness (commonly 2 cm or 3 cm slabs), flatness, and finish (polished, honed, flamed, sandblasted, leathered)
Visual grade
Colour and pattern consistency against approved samples; limits on cracks, resin filling and natural flaws
Polish
Gloss level measured with a gloss meter where the buyer specifies it

Certificates

  • CE marking with Declaration of Performance (EU)RequiredStone products covered by harmonised EN standards (paving, cladding, flooring) need a DoP and CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation.
  • Ethical stone / social audit (e.g. XertifiX, Fair Stone, amfori BSCI)Often askedEuropean buyers of Indian sandstone and granite often require proof of no child or forced labour in quarries.
  • Mining lease and royalty papersRequiredLegal origin of blocks; buyers and auditors ask for them.
  • ISO 9001Often askedQuality system for processing units.
  • Fumigation / ISPM-15RequiredWooden crates and A-frames must be ISPM-15 treated and stamped.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Very heavy: slabs travel on A-frames or in bundles and tiles in crates, and a 20-ft container is loaded to the line's weight limit (typically about 25–28 tonnes) well before it is full. Raw blocks often ship as break-bulk or in open-top or flat-rack containers.

How it travels

Sea from Chennai, Krishnapatnam, Kakinada, Tuticorin, Mundra or Pipavav.

Storage

Store slabs upright on A-frames with spacers; protect polished faces.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Crate or bundle marks: stone name, finish, size, thickness, piece count, area, weight and crate number.
  • EU: CE mark with DoP reference for covered products.
  • Country of origin ('Made in India' or 'Product of India').
Where to get it tested

The Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS), Jaipur, tests stone and supports the industry. For EN or ASTM test reports for CE and buyers, search the NABL directory under 'building materials'. CAPEXIL can guide members on test labs and CE.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • CAPEXILGranites and natural stones are listed under CAPEXIL in Appendix 2T.capexil.org ↗
  • EPCH (stone artware)Carved stone handicrafts are listed under EPCH.epch.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • EU: stone for cladding, flooring and paving is a construction product and needs CE marking under the relevant harmonised standard.
  • Test reports for water absorption, flexural strength and abrasion; thickness and flatness tolerances.
  • Many European buyers ask for proof that no child or forced labour was used in the quarry and factory.
  • Wooden crates and A-frames must be ISPM-15 treated and marked.
How to start small

Begin with a few well-known colours from an established processing unit and send polished samples with test reports. Join CAPEXIL, visit stone fairs, and offer cut-to-size tiles or memorial pieces in small mixed containers before quoting full slab containers.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Colour variation between the sample and the shipped slabs — photograph and number every slab before loading.
  • Breakage from weak crating — slabs crack in transit.
  • Confusing natural stone with engineered quartz: engineered stone is banned in Australia since July 2024 and faces separate trade remedies in the USA. Classify and describe your product correctly.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (7)
  1. Department of Commerce, Export Import Data Bank — India's exports of HS 6802 by country, 2025-26
  2. DGFT — Appendix 2T: Export Promotion Councils and the products under each
  3. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  4. European Commission — Construction Products Regulation
  5. IPPC — ISPM 15: Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade
  6. Safe Work Australia — engineered stone ban
  7. CAPEXIL — official site

Trade data

Indian granite and natural stone exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 1.17 bn
-0.2% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +0.7%
US$ 1.16 bn → US$ 1.17 bn
Buyer countries
154
Average export price
US$ 0.41
per kg · 2.83 mn tonnes shipped · US$ 0.42 the year before
United States of America: US$ 267 mnVietnam: US$ 180 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 92.2 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 45.9 mnGermany: US$ 41.6 mnFrance: US$ 29.6 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 26 mnNetherlands: US$ 24.5 mnItaly: US$ 21.7 mnCanada: US$ 21.4 mnEgypt: US$ 18.6 mnRussia: US$ 15.1 mnSpain: US$ 12.1 mnAustralia: US$ 10.2 mnQatar: US$ 8.9 mnKuwait: US$ 8.8 mnUnited States of America: US$ 267 mnUnited States of AmericaVietnam: US$ 180 mnVietnamUnited Kingdom: US$ 92.2 mnUnited KingdomUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 45.9 mnUnited Arab EmiratesGermany: US$ 41.6 mnFrance: US$ 29.6 mnSaudi Arabia: US$ 26 mnNetherlands: US$ 24.5 mnItaly: US$ 21.7 mnItalyCanada: US$ 21.4 mnEgypt: US$ 18.6 mnEgyptRussia: US$ 15.1 mnSpain: US$ 12.1 mnAustralia: US$ 10.2 mnQatar: US$ 8.9 mnKuwait: US$ 8.8 mnIndia
Where Indian granite and natural stone goes — among our 30 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 1.18 bn1.2k2020-212021-22: US$ 1.3 bn1.3k2021-222022-23: US$ 1.28 bn1.3k2022-232023-24: US$ 1.14 bn1.1k2023-242024-25: US$ 1.16 bn1.2k2024-252025-26: US$ 1.17 bn1.2k2025-26
India’s granite and natural stone exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2020-21, lowest in 2025-26 — a 11% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 0.46 per kg0.462021-22: US$ 0.46 per kg2022-23: US$ 0.44 per kg2024-25: US$ 0.42 per kg2025-26: US$ 0.41 per kg0.412020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian granite and natural stone · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 1.18 bn2020-212021-22: US$ 1.3 bn2021-222022-23: US$ 1.28 bn2022-232023-24: US$ 1.14 bn2023-242024-25: US$ 1.16 bn2024-252025-26: US$ 1.17 bn2025-262026-27: US$ 1.14 bn (US$ 1.06 bn – US$ 1.23 bn)1.1k2026-272027-28: US$ 1.13 bn (US$ 1.04 bn – US$ 1.22 bn)1.1k2027-28
India’s granite and natural stone exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 1.13 bn

Likely range US$ 1.04 bn to US$ 1.22 bn.

Trend
-1.5% a year
Fit (R²)
0.25 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 267 mn-15.6%
2VietnamUS$ 180 mn+16.1%
3United KingdomUS$ 92.2 mn+24.3%
4PolandUS$ 62.9 mn+31.3%
5United Arab EmiratesUS$ 45.9 mn+6.7%
6GermanyUS$ 41.6 mn-7.9%
7FranceUS$ 29.6 mn+2.2%
8Saudi ArabiaUS$ 26 mn-17.1%
9TürkiyeUS$ 25.8 mn+2.2%
10NetherlandsUS$ 24.5 mn+0.8%
11MoroccoUS$ 22.1 mn-0.8%
12ItalyUS$ 21.7 mn+0.9%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. PolandUS$ 47.9 mn → US$ 62.9 mn+31.3%
  2. RussiaUS$ 12.1 mn → US$ 15.1 mn+24.8%
  3. United KingdomUS$ 74.2 mn → US$ 92.2 mn+24.3%
  4. VietnamUS$ 155 mn → US$ 180 mn+16.1%
  5. SpainUS$ 10.7 mn → US$ 12.1 mn+13%

Low demand

  1. NepalUS$ 12.1 mn → US$ 4.5 mn-62.4%
  2. LibyaUS$ 19 mn → US$ 14.1 mn-25.8%
  3. ThailandUS$ 11.7 mn → US$ 9.6 mn-18.2%
  4. Saudi ArabiaUS$ 31.3 mn → US$ 26 mn-17.1%
  5. United States of AmericaUS$ 316 mn → US$ 267 mn-15.6%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Others-of-smply cut/swn granite with a flt/evn surfce6802 23 90 · Granite, articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surfaceUS$ 699 mn+1.8%1.70 mn tonnesUS$ 0.41 per kgwas US$ 0.43
Others-of-simply cut/sawn marble travertine and alabaster with a flat or even surface6802 21 90 · Marble, travertine and alabaster, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surfaceUS$ 137 mn+3.7%1,33,113 tonnesUS$ 1.03 per kgwas US$ 1.03
Granite, articles thereof, — other granite6802 93 00US$ 132 mn-13.2%3,52,996 tonnesUS$ 0.37 per kgwas US$ 0.38
Stone, natural, monumental or building stone, — other stone6802 99 00US$ 115 mn+26%3,65,891 tonnesUS$ 0.31 per kgwas US$ 0.31
Granite blocks/tiles,polished6802 23 10 · Granite, articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surfaceUS$ 57.9 mn-9%2,12,490 tonnesUS$ 0.27 per kgwas US$ 0.25
Other marble travertine and alabaster6802 91 00 · Marble, travertine and alabaster, articles thereof,US$ 11.5 mn-38.1%6,951 tonnesUS$ 1.65 per kgwas US$ 1.76
Otr smply cut/swn stne with a flt evn srfce6802 29 00 · Stone, monumental or building stone in item no. 6802.2, articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat…US$ 5.8 mn-28.9%10,883 tonnesUS$ 0.53 per kgwas US$ 0.42
Tiles cubes etc. whether or not rectnglr(including sqr) whose lrgst face be enclsd in a sqr measrng<49 sq cm artfcly colrd grnls6802 10 00 · Tiles, cubes and similar articles, whether or not rectangular, largest face of which is capable of being…US$ 5.5 mn+131.9%26,669 tonnesUS$ 0.21 per kgwas US$ 0.61
Marble blocks/tiles,polished6802 21 10 · Marble, travertine and alabaster, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surfaceUS$ 3.7 mn-15.1%6,503 tonnesUS$ 0.56 per kgwas US$ 0.43
Stone, calcareous articles thereof, — other calcareous stone6802 92 00US$ 1.2 mn-7.1%6,451 tonnesUS$ 0.18 per kgwas US$ 0.22
Marble, travertine and alabaster, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface — marble monuments6802 21 20US$ 760k+61.7%574 tonnesUS$ 1.32 per kgwas US$ 6.69

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 9.6 bn
2023
India among exporters
#4
of 145 countries
India’s share of world exports
8.9%
US$ 1.16 bn
Left for others to win
US$ 11.9 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 5.06 bn 38.7%
  2. 2ItalyUS$ 1.73 bn 13.2%
  3. 3TürkiyeUS$ 1.23 bn 9.4%
  4. 4IndiaUS$ 1.16 bn 8.9%
  5. 5BrazilUS$ 811 mn 6.2%
  6. 6EgyptUS$ 536 mn 4.1%
  7. 7SpainUS$ 314 mn 2.4%
  8. 8PortugalUS$ 302 mn 2.3%
  9. 9GreeceUS$ 198 mn 1.5%
  10. 10State of PalestineUS$ 164 mn 1.3%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 2.92 bn 30.4%
  2. 2Rep. of KoreaUS$ 572 mn 6%
  3. 3Saudi ArabiaUS$ 403 mn 4.2%
  4. 4JapanUS$ 376 mn 3.9%
  5. 5United Arab EmiratesUS$ 319 mn 3.3%
  6. 6GermanyUS$ 315 mn 3.3%
  7. 7FranceUS$ 305 mn 3.2%
  8. 8United KingdomUS$ 251 mn 2.6%
  9. 9AustraliaUS$ 211 mn 2.2%
  10. 10MoroccoUS$ 187 mn 1.9%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 3.08 bnIndia 12% · gap US$ 2.71 bn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 515 mnIndia 8% · gap US$ 474 mn
South KoreaUS$ 468 mnIndia 1.7% · gap US$ 460 mn
JapanUS$ 320 mnIndia 1.2% · gap US$ 316 mn
FranceUS$ 316 mnIndia 11% · gap US$ 282 mn
United Arab EmiratesUS$ 319 mnIndia 13.9% · gap US$ 275 mn
GermanyUS$ 280 mnIndia 18.7% · gap US$ 228 mn
AustraliaUS$ 211 mnIndia 4.7% · gap US$ 201 mn
United KingdomUS$ 251 mnIndia 25.3% · gap US$ 188 mn
CanadaUS$ 179 mnIndia 11.7% · gap US$ 158 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export granite and natural stone

India is one of the world's top exporters of granite and natural stone, with granite from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, sandstone from Rajasthan, and slate and quartzite from several states. China is the largest processor and exporter of finished stone, often using Indian raw blocks; Italy, Turkey, Spain, Brazil and Portugal are other major suppliers. Demand comes from construction, landscaping and memorials in the USA, Europe, China and the Gulf. Openings are in finished slabs and tiles rather than raw blocks, paving and landscaping stone for Europe, and memorial stones for the UK and USA.

  1. 01Secure legal blocks

    Buy from leased quarries with transit passes and royalty receipts.

  2. 02Process

    Cut on gang saws or multi-wire, resin and polish; cut to size if needed.

  3. 03Test and certify

    Test physical properties to EN or ASTM; prepare DoP/CE for EU.

  4. 04Buyer selection

    Buyers often choose slabs in person or by photo of each slab — keep slab numbering.

  5. 05Crate and load

    Pack on ISPM-15 frames, lash securely, and keep within the weight limit.

  6. 06Ship and claim

    File the shipping bill, claim RoDTEP and drawback where applicable.

  7. 07Payment

    Advance plus balance against documents or LC.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting granite and natural stone

Blocks or finished slabs — which is better?
Slabs and tiles earn more per tonne and use India's processing capacity, but need investment in machines and quality control. Blocks are simpler but lower value.
Is CE marking needed for memorial stones?
Memorials are generally not covered by the harmonised construction standards, but paving, cladding and flooring are. Check the product's intended use with your buyer.
Why do European buyers ask about child labour?
Media and NGO reports on Indian quarries led many buyers to require independent ethical audits. Without one, many European importers will not buy sandstone.
Which council covers granite?
CAPEXIL; EPCH for stone handicrafts.
What about engineered stone in Australia?
Australia banned engineered stone benchtops from July 2024 because of silica risk. Natural stone is not covered, but check the latest Safe Work Australia rules.
Sources (7)
  1. CAPEXIL — official site
  2. European Commission — Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
  3. European Commission — CE marking
  4. Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS), Jaipur
  5. IPPC — ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade
  6. NABL — search for accredited testing laboratories
  7. Safe Work Australia — Engineered stone ban

Who buys Indian granite and natural stone

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