<p>In order to make polymer-ceramic composite membranes with excellent antifouling performance commercially attractive, it is essential to explore the use of low-cost materials in their preparation. In this work, a novel gamma-alumina (γ-Al₂O₃) doped polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-natural Kashmir clay composite membrane was developed using a Kashmir clay ceramic support having a porosity of 37.68% and an average pore size of 69.42&#xa0;nm. γ-Al₂O₃ was characterized by XRD, while the composite membranes were analysed using FESEM, EDX, hydrophilicity, and liquid permeation tests. The γ-Al₂O₃ concentration in the PVC coating was varied between 0.25 and 1.25 wt.% and its effect on various membrane properties and antifouling performance were investigated. The composite membranes reported a porosity of 32.41–43.94%, contact angles of 72.55–85.22º, water permeability of (0.12–2.13) × 10^–8 m³/m².s.kPa, and pore sizes of 1.4–7.69&#xa0;nm. The membranes were also used to remove Indigo carmine (IC) dye with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as the surfactant. The membrane CM1.25 having 1.25 wt.% γ-Al₂O₃, achieved a maximum rejection of 91.91%, while membrane CM0.5 having 0.5 wt.% γ-Al₂O₃, reported the highest flux recovery ratio (93%), total fouling ratio of 16.93%, and irreversible fouling ratio of 7%, demonstrating the potential of the composite membranes for filtration applications in high fouling environments.</p>