Insights & Buying Guides

Gurjan is Dipterocarpus timber used for plywood faces and premium cores; it is denser than poplar but is a species, not a grade. Plywood sold as gurjan was listed at ₹48-125 per sq ft in November 2026, so check grade, core and ISI licence first.

MDF in India is graded REG (dry rooms), MR (humid rooms) or HMR (high humidity) under IS 12406:2025 and sold mostly as 8x4 ft sheets from about 1.5mm to 30mm, with 18mm the thickness brand manuals recommend for wardrobes and kitchen cabinet sides.

The standard HDHMR-type sheet is 8x4 ft (2440 x 1220 mm, 32 sq ft). Brands list thicknesses from 3mm to 25-30mm and densities of 825-870 kg/m3 at 18mm, so an 18mm sheet weighs about 44-47 kg.

India's five main wood sheet types are plywood, MDF, HDF, particle board and OSB, and plywood is the strongest and most durable of the three most common, at about ₹45-180 per sq ft. Compare each for kitchens, wardrobes and offices, plus HDF vs plywood and prices.

CenturyPly, Greenply, Greenpanel, Kitply and Duroply lead our 2026 list of India's top 10 plywood brands, ranked on reach and on how much of each range we could verify. Branded BWP or marine plywood in 18-19mm sells for about ₹120-175 per sq ft; CenturyPly lists Sainik 710 at ₹122 including GST.

India classifies plywood three ways: by water resistance (MR, BWR, BWP or marine), by application (shuttering, calibrated, flexible) and by core wood (gurjan, eucalyptus, poplar). Most sheets cost ₹35 to ₹150 per sq ft depending on grade.

IS 303:2024 covers general purpose plywood in MR, BWR and BWP grades; IS 710:2024 covers marine plywood with extra requirements such as preservative treatment. ISI marking became mandatory for plywood on 28 February 2025 and for blockboard and MDF on 11 February 2025.