From Terrazzo to Stilan: Bharat Tiles has Floored History at Mumbai’s Heritage Sites!

Let's travel back in time.

A swirl of rage and patriotism prevailed in the air as the Britishers had been in India for almost 150 years. With a raging desire for independence, Indians across the nation rebelled against the Britishers. By then, India was suffering a major economic loss. Moved by the words of Jamshed Mehta, a colleague of Mahatma Gandhi, was Pherozesha Sidhwa. Witnessing a crisis in the nation, a young Pherozesha Sidhwa was eager to contribute his due in building the economic landscape.

Passionate to partake in the Swadeshi Movement, Pherozesha Sidhwa started his own company named Bharat Tiles along with his nephew, Rustom and friend Jamshed. Started in 1922, the Bharat Flooring Company was born in Uran, a fishing village in India, where the founder’s family once made liqueurs from fruits and flowers. Since then, Bharat Tiles has made history with its presence in Mumbai’s most iconic and oldest buildings. The store is located in Fort Mumbai, where one can spot a variety of exotic patterned tiles. 

The Origin of Bharat Tiles

It was in 1923 when Bharat Tiles and Floorings bagged their first client, Sir Cowasji Jehangir. Since then, the company has been flourishing. The company has worked with a few esteemed institutions and prominent figures. In 1935-1940, Raj Bhavans, Umaid Bhavan, and various Art Deco buildings of Marine Drive, Oval Maidan, and Malabar Hill were home to the iconic Bharat floors. During WWI, when the use of cement was strictly allotted to only defence purposes, the Bharat Tiles factory was unfortunately shut, but the owners started India’s first grinding wheel company in their Uran factory. 

After the independence in 1947, Bharat Tiles had now introduced multiple patterns and designs. To name a few, the Terrazzo tiles, featuring the richest colours and the whitest chips and Stilan, a heavy-duty tile with ingredients next to diamonds in hardness, were seen in popular landmarks in the city like the CST railway station and the Flora Fountain. Dusting off its original moulds from the 1920s and rediscovering its original catalogues, Bharat’s HeritageTM range was relaunched in 1999 at the Kala Ghoda festival in Mumbai.

By the 2000s, the company had played a vital role in restoring the heritage of our city. Bharat first floored the Salar Jung Museum and the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, which won the prestigious UNESCO Award.  As the city was taken over by modern and contemporary design, Bharat took a step to reinvent itself while respecting their roots. In 2015, Bharat also participated in 3D and Micro Topping.

To date, Bharat Tiles has floored some distinguished residences, prestigious hotels, vital hospitals, vibrant clubs, bustling offices, factories, cooperative housing societies, educational and religious institutions, railway stations and airports. 

The Creative Process of These Heritage Tiles

People may ask, what sets Bharat Tiles apart from other flooring companies? The answer is their dedication to delivering the best result. This tedious process includes a lot of steps, like:

1. Blending

The ingredients are blended for 3 to 4 hours to produce the final colour.

2. Molding

Then, the colours are filled manually in a mould. There are a variety of moulds from which we can choose any we like.

3. Compressing

 A cork in the form of a strong metal plate is applied at the top of the mould, and the tile is pressed using a mechanical hydraulic press.

4. Hardening

After pressing, the tiles are removed from the mould and placed on a rack until they are hard enough to move in a tank of water

5. Hydroylsis

The tiles are cured in water for several days, during which they undergo a hydrolysis process and harden into a solid concrete tile. 

6. Drying

Then, they are removed from the tank and further cured in air until they are completely ready to be shipped to the customer. 

After carrying the essence of age-old traditions and culture for more than 100 years, Bharat Tiles continues its rich legacy even today.