What is made in Khurja
Khurja is a pottery town in Bulandshahr district. Clay bodies are shaped by jigger, press or slip casting, dried, glazed and fired in kilns, and each firing is a batch: colour, crazing and warping often differ from one kiln load to the next. That is why a single sample approved months earlier is not enough to judge a full order.
| Recognition | What it covers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GI: Khurja Pottery | Pottery (class 21); certificate dated 23 Mar 2015 (application 178), filed by the Khurja Pottery Manufacturers Association | GI Registry |
| One District One Product: Bulandshahr | Ceramic products: tableware, dinner sets, mugs, bowls, vases, decorative items, sanitaryware and utility products | ODOP Uttar Pradesh |
For scale, TradeStat records US$42.90 million of India's exports of ceramic tableware other than porcelain (HS 6912) in FY2025-26, a provisional national figure that also includes earthenware. We have not found an official figure for Khurja's own share.
What we check for Khurja ceramics
| Product | Main checks | Full checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Dinnerware, mugs and bowls | Glaze cover on food surfaces, crazing, pinholes, flatness, stacking, handle joints, reactive-glaze shade | Stoneware dinnerware |
| Planters | Drainage holes, hairline cracks, glaze drips, frost claims | Terracotta and glazed planters |
| Bath accessories | Set matching, dispenser hole size, dry ground foot, crazing | Ceramic bathroom accessories |
| Sanitaryware | Fixing-hole positions, glaze in the bowl, flatness, function tests | Sanitaryware |
| Unglazed and low-fired pieces | Water absorption claims, chipping, colour from firing | Terracotta and earthenware |
See the ceramics, glassware and tiles inspection hub for the wider category.
Lead, cadmium and food contact
Glazed tableware that touches food is tested for lead and cadmium release. The US FDA sets leach levels by item type, and cups, mugs and pitchers face the strictest; the EU sets limits under Directive 84/500/EEC. California Prop 65 adds its own expectations for the lip-and-rim area. See lead and cadmium limits for ceramic tableware and FDA food contact.
These are lab tests, not site checks. On site, the inspector confirms the glaze and decoration match the tested sample, that no decals sit where the lips touch unless agreed, and that the batch on the floor is the one tested. We pull and seal samples through lab testing coordination. Dishwasher, microwave and oven claims on the box are tested too, not assumed.
Common defects in Khurja production
| Defect | Products | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Crack or chip leaving a sharp edge | All ceramics | Critical |
| Glaze or decoration differs from the lab-tested sample | Tableware | Critical |
| Crazing on a food surface | Tableware, mugs | Major |
| Pinholes or bare spots in the glaze | Tableware, bath sets | Major |
| Warped plates that rock or do not stack | Dinnerware | Major |
| Reactive-glaze shade outside the limit sample | Dinnerware, vases | Major or minor by degree |
| Glaze on the foot ring, kiln marks | All glazed ware | Minor |
Timing and logistics
- Travel: inspectors come from Delhi NCR by road. Other cities in western Uttar Pradesh, such as Aligarh, can sometimes be planned on the same trip.
- Kiln batches: book a during-production inspection after the first full firing to catch glaze and warping problems before the rest of the order is fired.
- Packing: ceramics break in transit more than at the factory. We check dividers, wrap and carton strength, and run a drop test where your specification asks for one.
- Festivals: many units slow down around Diwali, in October or November.
How to book an inspection in Khurja
Send the product, the pottery's address and the ready date through the booking form for Khurja. Include photos of the approved sample, the limit sample for reactive glazes, carton specifications and your lab report if testing is already done.
An inspection costs US$249 per man-day. Khurja is in Band C, so travel is charged at actual cost and quoted before you book; see pricing. The report arrives within 24 hours of the inspection with a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
Sources
Are you a quality inspector in Khurja?
We work with vetted freelance inspectors near the factories we check. You take assignments in your own area, inspect to our checklist, and Clear To Load pays you, never the factory. Apply to inspect with us.