What they are & where

• Sanganeri (Jaipur district, Rajasthan): hand-block printed textiles celebrated for fine floral motifs on a white ground; prints are often visible clearly on the reverse of the cloth; practice includes sun-bleaching (“tapai”). The craft holds a Geographical Indication (GI) as “Sanganeri Hand Block Printing.”
  
• Bagru (near Jaipur, Rajasthan): hand-block prints rooted in natural dyeing and mud-resist (dabu) techniques; characteristic palettes are black (iron-jaggery “syahi”), red (begar using alum + alizarin/madder), indigo blues, and earthy bases. Registered as “Bagru Hand Block Print” (GI).

How they’re made 

• Sanganeri process (typical): pre-wash/desize → mark-up → multi-block printing (outline first, then fills) → sun-drying → steaming/washing to fix color; traditional materials include syahi (iron black), begar (alum red), myrobalan, and indigo.
  
• Bagru process (typical): scouring (“hari sarana”) → myrobalan (“peela karna”) → block printing with mordants → wash → dye (“rangai”) → dabu mud-resist printing with sawdust → indigo or other natural dye baths → wash/dry.
  

What products to expect 

• Base fabrics & made-ups: cotton fabrics (often light counts), sarees, dress materials, scarves, and home textiles (bed linen, table linen, curtains, cushions). Sanganer’s GI dossier explicitly lists sarees, chintz, dupattas and home furnishings; Bagru’s notes similar categories.
  
• Typical HS chapters used when importing (varies by final form):
  
  • Woven cotton fabrics: HS 5208/5209 (by weight range; includes printed varieties).
    
  • Home textiles: HS 6302 (bed/table/toilet/kitchen linen), HS 6303/6304 (curtains/other furnishings).
    
  • Apparel made-ups: HS 62 (e.g., 6211 for some garments), depending on style.
    

Context for scale & markets

• India’s textile & apparel exports were ~US$35.9 bn in FY 2023-24, with T&A ~8.2% of total exports; the US & EU together account for a large share of India’s T&A exports (government/IBEF data).
  
• In FY 22, US (27%) and EU (18%) were the top T&A destinations—consistent with where hand-printed apparel/home products are commonly shipped.
  
• The Sanganer cluster itself has hundreds of printing units and active exporters (the GI file lists “more than twenty exporting units”).
  

Quality profile & strengths 

Sanganeri – strengths

• Visual identity: delicate, fine-line floral sprigs (“buti/buta/jaal”) on white; design legibility often shows on the reverse—a useful authenticity cue.
  
• Handle & look: soft, light bases with sombre yet crisp colorways; traditional sun-bleaching contributes to the clean ground.
  

Bagru – strengths

• Natural-dye heritage with mud-resist (dabu) patterning; classic palettes: black (syahi), red (begar), indigo, and earthy tans; myrobalan pre-treatment gives warm yellow cast and helps fixation.
  
• Artisanal depth: recipes and multi-stage workflows yield rich, layered prints and a hand-made depth hard to replicate with screens.
  

Regional specifics that matter for buyers

• Water & climate around Sanganer/Bagru, plus long-embedded Chhipa community skills, are cited in the GI dossiers as part of what makes the shades/finish distinctive; sun-drying/tapai and access to specific clays for dabu are local enablers.
  
• GI protection ties the name to origin—useful for brand storytelling and to guard against screen-printed imitations marketed as “Sanganeri/Bagru.”
  

Performance & compliance 

For exports, buyers typically ask for:

• Colorfastness: to washing (ISO 105-C06), rubbing/crocking (AATCC 8), and perspiration (ISO 105-E04, if specified).
  
• Chemical compliance: Azo dyes releasing any of the 22 restricted aromatic amines are banned in the EU (REACH Annex XVII, Entry 43; 30 mg/kg limit)—even if artisans say “azo-free,” labs still test.
  

Common risks & how to mitigate

• Screen-print look-alikes: Both GI files warn that cheaper screen prints imitate the aesthetic. Solution: require GI origin documentation (where applicable) and/or artisan cluster provenance in POs.
  
• Natural-dye variation (Bagru): batch-to-batch shade variation is inherent. Solution: agree tolerance bands on shade cards; approve lab dips/strike-offs and test crocking/wash early.
  

Quick sourcing checklist 

1. Specify origin/style: “Sanganeri (white-ground florals)” or “Bagru dabu/syahi-begar/indigo.”
   
2. Lock base fabric (weave, GSM) and print method: hand-block (not screen).
   
3. Require strike-offs and set fastness minima (e.g., ISO 105-C06 ≥ 3-4; AATCC 8 dry ≥ 4, wet ≥ 3).
   
4. Add REACH Annex XVII (Entry 43) azo and other brand RSL clauses to PO; test per accredited lab.
   

For home textiles, classify under HS 6302/6303/6304 as applicable; for yardage/apparel, use relevant 5208/5209 (fabric) or Chapter 62 (garments).