Lucknow's Chikankari — the 400-year-old hand embroidery tradition protected by a Geographical Indication tag since 2008 — featured prominently across multiple designer collections at Milan Fashion Week 2026.
The craft employs an estimated 250,000–500,000 artisans, predominantly rural women, and its runway visibility continues to lift demand for authenticated, GI-tagged work over imitation machine reproductions.
What GI protection changes
- Legal protection of the 'Chikankari' name for Lucknow-made work
- Premium pricing for verified artisan pieces
- Traceability requirements that formalize artisan supply chains
“Heritage crafts win when authenticity is verifiable — the same principle behind BEMEA's own certificate registry.”
References & sources
