SHAH ALAM: As Malaysian home owners increasingly seek premium surfaces and designer finishes, Niro Ceramic Group is accelerating its pivot toward high-value, sustainable tile solutions for 2026. Speaking at the company’s Chinese New Year open house last Friday, Niro Ceramic Group managing director Ian Kok said 2025 had been a defining year for recalibration and strategic focus.
“2025 was a year of resilience. While market challenges persisted, they sharpened our focus on innovation and the customer,” he said. “Home owners today are prioritising premium, large-format slabs and digital-first experiences. We have pivoted towards higher-value offerings by investing in sustainable manufacturing and elevated design, moving beyond volume to deliver sustainable value and quality across our nationwide network.”
Malaysia’s construction sector expanded 12.5% in 2025, with total value reaching RM178.6bil, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia. Residential projects recorded double-digit growth during the year while special trade activities, closely linked to interior finishing works, also saw strong expansion.
As residential development accounts for roughly 65% of domestic tile consumption, sustained housing activity continues to support baseline demand. At the same time, upgrading trends are driving demand for porcelain tiles, large-format slabs and designer collections, segments that command materially higher value.
“The Malaysian market is not just building more, it is upgrading. That shift plays directly into our strengths in innovation, automation and design,” Kok added.
To meet the market transition, the group has accelerated investments in automation, sustainable manufacturing processes and advanced surface technologies. Enhanced digital visualisation tools and customer experience platforms across its nationwide network further support buyers in making more informed design decisions. Together, these capabilities position the company to capture the growing premium segment while reinforcing long-term competitiveness beyond price-driven competition.
Sustainability as a market enabler
Sustainability is no longer a regulatory checkbox; it is a strategic advantage that opens doors to premium markets. Niro Ceramic Group is embedding green practices across product design,
manufacturing and operations, targeting that at least 30% of new launches meet internationally recognised certifications such as the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS), MyHijau and SIRIM Eco-Label. In addition, the group publishes Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for select products, showcasing transparent reporting of their environmental impact and ongoing ESG improvements.
“Our goal is clear. We want to position Malaysia not as a low-cost producer but as a leader in innovative and responsible surface solutions,” Kok noted.
The evening culminated in the much-anticipated Shop & Win Campaign grand draw, where one lucky winner drove home a brand-new Honda City.
Beyond the grand prize, the celebration reflected a broader spirit of appreciation. Staff walked away with more than RM10,000 worth of lucky draw prizes while guests and business partners also received awards and prizes, reinforcing the company’s culture of shared success across employees, partners and customers.
With resilient residential demand and a clear shift toward premium-quality tiles, the company believes 2026 will mark a more value-driven phase for Malaysia’s tile industry.
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