Chikankari’s International Demand

Indian culture has cast a spell on countries across oceans since time immemorial. Indian Ethnic wear has attracted many tourists and also has a sizeable chunk of market share in foreign markets. Talking about ethnic wear,  the most popular thing that occupies the mind is the handwork of Chikankari. The intricate and delicate work of Chikankari, which is a heritage from the Mughal Empire, is worn and adorned by women and men of all ages. The international demand of the same is humongous, which is substantiated by the fact that India exports around 60 crore of rupees worth lucknowi chikankari fabric every year. The demand majorly pours in from the niche audience from Europe, Canada, USA, Italy, Australia, the Middle East, and African countries. What makes this Indian handwork click in foreign markets is the essence of our culture in it. Since the past two decades, Chikankari has got wide acceptance in the form of a new trend in fashion. Fashion Designers like Sandeep Khosla and Abu Jani have played a great role in globalizing this art with their fusion of Chikankari with zardosi, embellishments, mirror works, and several other art works. Other renowned lot like Tarun Tahliyani and Manish Malhotra have taken it further and smartly market edit as a wedding wear as well nationally and internationally. Hence, the wedding collection is driving huge demands from across the globe. The work is no longer limited to Indian wear and is also found on skirts and tops to suit the foreign markets better. While Indian marketers are religiously eyeing the untapped sectors internationally, around 2500 artisans are engaged in manufacturing Chikankari kurta dupatta set in order to effectively match the demand with the supply without compromising on the quality.