Chikan Handicraft Industry in Lucknow: Historical Evolution and Industry Analysis

Chikankari is the world famous hand embroidery from the Lucknow region of Uttar Pradesh. Despite the changing times the craft has held its name globally since the time of Mughals, when it was first introduced in India. This paper elaborates the history and the development of Chikan handwork in India. Secondary data has been used for the study. The paper tells that the art was mainly a full time job done by men but over the period of time it became a part time work done by the female folk for extra income. The process used in making a product is elaborated, starting from the raw material stage to the finished product ready to go to the market. Some details about the cluster have been given. The industry analysis has been done using the porter’s five force model and a SWOT analysis of the chikan handicraft industry has also been done to find out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which will help identifying the current and future potential of the industry, giving a better understanding of the industry.