look news india
Lucknow, 04 October 2026. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the economy of Uttar Pradesh has gained new momentum on the export front. The state’s exports are no longer limited to traditional products, but products from electronics, engineering, food-dairy and other sectors have also made a strong place in the global market. In this changing picture, the carpet industry of Purvanchal is also playing an important role in taking the export identity of UP to the world market. The 50th India Carpet Expo held in Bhadohi has emerged as a big platform for this global recognition.
The change in the state’s exports over the years can be gauged from the fact that in the financial year 2016-17, UP’s exports were Rs 84,283 crore, which increased to Rs 2,01,241 crore in the financial year 2025-26. That means there was an increase of about two and a half times in the export price. Earlier, the average annual growth rate of exports during 2012-17 was 4.1 percent, which increased to about 7.3 percent after 2017. In this way, the pace of export growth has increased by about 1.8 times.
Bhadohi’s carpet has a strong hold in the world.
When it comes to the carpet industry of Uttar Pradesh, the name of Sant Ravidas Nagar (Bhadohi) comes first. In the financial year 2024-25, the share of Bhadohi alone in the total carpet exports of the state was more than 70 percent. Whereas the carpet cluster of Bhadohi-Mirzapur-Varanasi together contributes to about 88 percent of carpet exports of UP. From a national perspective, the share of Uttar Pradesh (especially the Bhadohi-Mirzapur cluster) in India’s total handmade carpet exports has historically been between 55 to 60 percent. Before 2017, the cluster was facing a severe slowdown due to policy neglect, power crisis, complex tax procedures and lack of infrastructure. At that time it was considered ‘beyond imagination’ to expect a big boom in manufacturing or global exports from UP. Exporters and industries were migrating from the state, whereas today carpets worth about ₹5,000 crore are being exported to global markets (US, Europe, Middle East) from Bhadohi-Mirzapur-Varanasi cluster alone.
Nearly five lakh workers, artisans and weavers joined
Carpet industry is not only a source of export figures but is also the basis of livelihood of a large number of people. About five lakh workers, artisans and weavers are associated with the carpet industry of Bhadohi. India is one of the world’s leading exporters of handmade carpets and Bhadohi has a special place in this global business. The provision of ODOP scheme, toolkit distribution, Mudra loans, modern looms and solar looms has brought about a major improvement in the income and working conditions of the local artisans/weavers. Their dependence on middlemen has reduced and migration of youth has stopped due to employment generation at the local level.
UP’s export basket changed
During 2012-17, only leather, handicrafts and carpets had a major share in the export basket of the state. Now the picture is more diverse. Electronics are among the major export sectors with 24 per cent share, engineering 20 per cent and food-dairy with 11 per cent share in FY 2024-25. This also shows the expansion of UP’s export base. Before 2017, the traditional handicrafts of UP did not get any global branding or organized market, whereas today UP’s share in the country’s handicraft exports is 16.56 percent. After ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) and export promotion policy, exports of handicrafts and related traditional products have more than doubled. Better connectivity (Purvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Dedicated Freight Corridor, Jewar Airport), uninterrupted electricity, and top ranking in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ have changed the face of the state. Today Uttar Pradesh has become a major national center not only for traditional handicrafts but also for mobile/electronics manufacturing, defense corridors and textiles.
Access to global market through Carpet Expo Mart
Carpet Expo Mart, developed on 7.5 acres in Bhadohi, was inaugurated in December 2020. This state-of-the-art platform has played an important role in connecting carpet trade directly with global buyers. In this series, the 50th India Carpet Expo is being organized in Bhadohi from 4 to 7 October 2026. About 250 exhibitors and more than 450 foreign buyers from 65 countries are participating in this expo. These include 106 buyers from BRICS countries. In such a situation, the color and skill of Bhadohi carpets is once again going to get a new shine in the world market.