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Located in
the Northern region of India, Uttar
Pradesh (UP) state covers a large part
of the highly fertile and densely
populated upper Gangetic plain. It is
the second largest economy in India
after Maharashtra, contributing 8.17 per
cent to India's total GDP. The state is
also the largest producer of wheat,
sugarcane, tobacco and potato, and its
contribution to India's total production
varies from 30 to 50 per cent. It also
has one of the highest irrigation
intensities reaching at 66 per cent.
Key industries flourishing in Uttar
Pradesh are cement, vegetable oils,
jute, brassware, sugar production,
carpet, handloom, cotton & woollen
textiles, leather & footwear,
distilleries & breweries, glassware &
bangles. Shahjahanpur, Mirzapur, Badohi,
Khamaria and Agra are main hubs for
carpet industry in Uttar Pradesh.
According to a report by India Brand
Equity Foundation (IBEF), the handloom
and handicraft sectors provide
livelihood to over 200,000 people in the
state. The state also accounts for about
60% of India’s total handicraft exports.
Carpet industry in UP, predominantly
makes use of jute and cotton fibres.
Generally, medium quality carpets are
made here and on an average, about 60
knots per square inch is applied while
knotting. The designs typically follow
geometrical patterns. Agra is known to
be the traditional centre of carpet
weaving from the period of Mughals and
is famous for carpets made by silk mixed
with woollen yarn.
The weavers of the Mirzapur-Badohi
region in UP are renowned for their
versatility in weaving carpets of any
designs especially the ancient Persian
ones that are always in great demand.
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