Yogi Adityanath says UP artisans now get to showcase their skills at home, at India Carpet Expo in Bhadohi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said artisans and handicraft workers who once had to leave the state for work are now getting a platform to showcase their skills in Uttar Pradesh itself. According to him, local workers have gained better links with technology, design and markets, and have also got security. Adityanath also said Bhadohi carpets have carved out a distinct identity in the world market.

The chief minister was addressing people on Sunday at the golden jubilee celebrations of the India Carpet Expo at the Carpet Expo Mart in Sant Ravidas Nagar, Bhadohi. The expo runs from October 4 to 7. More than 227 exhibitors and more than 450 buyers from 65 countries have taken part. The buyers include 106 from BRICS countries.

Adityanath said that before 2017 there was an atmosphere of despair and hopelessness in Uttar Pradesh. Riots, curfews, disturbances and mafia rule left no climate for business. Artisans did not get work, and buyers from across the country and abroad did not come here. He said his government included Bhadohi carpets in the One District One Product scheme and linked artisans with technology, design and markets.

Citing figures, the chief minister said exports worth Rs 6,100 crore are being made from Sant Ravidas Nagar and the silk cluster. Velvet carpets from Sant Ravidas Nagar, Mirzapur and Varanasi account for 60 per cent of the country's total carpet exports. Sant Ravidas Nagar alone has 2,500 MSME units that export, with an annual turnover of Rs 10,000 crore. The industry directly employs more than five lakh people.

He said 90 per cent of the carpets made in the district are sent to several countries, including the United States, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Bhadohi's handmade carpet has also received a GI tag. The Indian Institute of Carpet Technology has been set up in Bhadohi to provide technical education in carpet and textile technology, and training in designing and dyeing.

The chief minister said the carpet industry is directly benefiting from better connectivity. After the Ganga Expressway is extended as the Vindhya Expressway, Noida International Airport can be reached from Sant Ravidas Nagar in six hours. The airport's cargo facility will let Bhadohi carpets reach markets worldwide easily. In addition, an inland waterway links Varanasi and Haldia, and Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport also has a cargo facility.