Banarasi silk rides Uttar Pradesh's ODOP push onto global markets

Varanasi's famed silk is finding new admirers far beyond the ghats. Under Uttar Pradesh's One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, Banarasi silk has become one of the state's flagship crafts being carried to global markets — standing alongside Moradabad's brassware, Lucknow's zari-zardozi and Firozabad's glasswork as ambassadors of the state's handmade heritage. Launched in 2018, ODOP identifies a signature product for each district and helps its artisans with design, branding and access to wider markets. For Varanasi, that product is its centuries-old handwoven silk — the same gold-threaded weaves that grace weddings across India. The scheme's aim is simple and heartening: empower the weavers, preserve the craft, and lift exports so the people behind the loom share in the demand. Recent coverage has highlighted how UP's craft clusters are reaching international audiences, part of a broader rise in India's handmade exports. For Banaras, where whole neighbourhoods still live by the rhythm of the handloom, that growing global attention is genuinely good news. For visitors, the takeaway is straightforward: when you buy a genuine Banarasi weave in the city's weaving lanes, you carry home a piece of a living tradition the world is increasingly seeking out. Look for the GI tag and, where you can, buy directly from the weavers themselves.

Compiled by HelloBanaras from public sources: Times of India · ODOP Uttar Pradesh