Saharanpur Woodwork (Uttar Pradesh)
What it is / recognition
- India’s best-known hand-carved wood cluster; officially listed as an ODOP (One District One Product) craft for Saharanpur and registered as a GI (“Saharanpur Wood Craft”). The craft is ~400 years old and is identified with intricate jali (lattice) and floral/arabesque carving, traditionally in sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) and now also mango wood.
Export snapshot (category level)
- Category = “Woodwares / Wooden artware” under EPCH (handicrafts). FY 2024–25 (Apr–Mar) exports: US$ 973.61 m (₹ 8,234.39 cr). Q1 2025–26 (Apr–Jun): US$ 241.68 m, −2.3% YoY. Top markets for woodwares in 2024–25 include the USA, Germany, Netherlands, UK.
Quality & strengths (product/finish specifics)
- Hand carving depth & detail (deep relief, fine jali); vine/anguri motifs with Kashmiri influences; inlay and surface texturing; joinery adapted to dry climates (butterfly keys, box joints). Sheesham & mango wood take crisp detail and stain well; seasoned stock is common in export units.
- Scale of skilled labour: multiple artisan pockets (Delhi Road, Ali ki Chungi, etc.); studies and district records indicate tens of thousands of craftspeople in the cluster.
Compliance / buyer notes (wood)
- CITES (rosewoods/Dalbergia): Sheesham (Dalbergia sissoo) remains Appendix II, but finished items weighing <10 kg of listed timber per item are exempt from permits, easing handicraft/furniture shipments. Verify species declarations.
- EU deforestation rule (EUDR): application deferred—large operators now 30 Dec 2025, SMEs 30 Jun 2026; due-diligence and geolocation of plots will apply to wooden products entering the EU. Plan traceability now.
- Many buyers request FSC Chain of Custody (FSC-STD-40-004) for wood sourcing claims.
Why Saharanpur specifically
- Design vocabulary + hand skills built over centuries; GI tag reinforces provenance in marketing; ODOP support improves cluster services (common facility centers, training).
Aligarh Locks & Hardware (Uttar Pradesh)
What it is / recognition
- India’s historic lock-making cluster (“Tālā-nagari”) producing padlocks, door/mortise locks, cylinders, shutter locks & builders’ hardware; recognized as ODOP: “Locks & Hardware” and registered as GI: “Aligarh Tala (Locks)” (Application 664).
Export snapshot (product HS level)
- HS 8301 (Padlocks and locks… of base metal) exports from India in 2023: US$ 111 m. Top destinations: USA (~20%), Germany, Bangladesh, South Africa, Italy, Thailand, UK, UAE. Main exported sublines: 830120 (motor-vehicle locks ~56%), 830140 (other locks ~20%), 830160 (parts ~9.8%), 830110 (padlocks ~9.1%).
Quality & strengths (product/finish specifics)
- Materials breadth: brass, steel, and alloy bodies; hardened shackles; corrosion-resistant finishes for coastal markets.
- Process spread: casting/forging, stamping, machining, polishing & plating concentrated in one city, enabling short lead-times and spare-part availability.
- Standards familiarity: exporters supply to specs aligned with EN 12209 families (mechanically operated locks—durability/security grades) for EU projects; India also maintains BIS lock hardware specs (e.g., IS 6607 for rebated mortice locks)
Why Aligarh specifically
- Deep specialization & supplier ecosystem (from blanking dies to plating) built over a century; post-GI tag the cluster is leveraging provenance branding alongside mechanized production lines.
Quick data notes you can cite in your deck
- Woodwares (EPCH): FY 2024–25 (Apr–Mar) US$ 973.61 m; Q1 2025–26 US$ 241.68 m; top markets include USA, Germany, Netherlands, UK.
- Locks (HS 8301): India 2023 exports US$ 111 m; USA is the #1 buyer; product mix led by vehicle locks (830120) and padlocks (830110).
- Regulation: CITES 10 kg-per-item exemption for Dalbergia sissoo finished goods; EUDR entry now Dec 30 2025 (large operators)/Jun 30 2026 (SMEs).
