Photograph — Chikankari embroidery, Lucknow. Source image unavailable; caption preserved.
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Embroidery & Needlecraft · Uttar Pradesh — Lucknow
Lucknow Chikankari
A delicate white-on-white (and now multi-coloured) shadow embroidery on fine cotton and georgette, one of India's most globally recognised hand-embroidery traditions.
GI status: GI-registered, 2008
Shelf life: Indefinite
Women-led sector
| Category | Embroidery & Needlecraft |
|---|---|
| Region | Uttar Pradesh — Lucknow |
| GI status | GI-registered, 2008 |
| Typical shelf life | Indefinite |
| Women's role in production | Chikankari is overwhelmingly a women's home-based craft in and around Lucknow, with tens of thousands of women embroiderers organised through cooperatives and export houses. |
Why this fits a low-wastage SHG model: A finished garment/fabric good with indefinite shelf life and one of India's largest documented women-led craft workforces.