Jaipur's lac bangle industry shines on demand, worth Rs 75-80 crore

Lac bangles made in Jaipur are becoming popular in the country and abroad.

Lac is a sticky substance produced by certain insects, and is used in making varnishes, dyes, and sealing wax.

The 250-year-old lac bangle industry is primarily unorganised; hence, no official data is available on its market size. Trade estimates, however, show that Jaipur’s lac bangle industry alone is worth around Rs 75-80 crore. Over 500 traders of the city are engaged in the business while 20,000 artisans are directly or indirectly involved.

Although Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad is famous for glass bangles, the artisans of Jaipur have started doing lacquer work on glass bangles with finesse and the new innovation is being liked by the buyers.

At one time, the demand for metal and glass bangles had also increased but lac bangles continued to be one of the most popular in the market.

“After a lull during the Covid period, the industry must now be growing by at least 15-20 per cent,” lac bangle trader Dharam Saini said.

Saini said foreigners visiting Jaipur usually buy lac bangles as a souvenir while some of them love to wear them.

“Lac bangles are supplied across the country mainly from Jaipur. Major demand comes from states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. We are now getting orders from the southern states, too,” Vinod Kumar Bhagtani, a trader of lac bangles in Jaipur, said.

During festivals like Diwali, said Bhagtani, the demand for these bangles sees a manifold spurt as they get orders from all over the country.

“There is a tremendous boom in the industry, especially due to the upcoming festivals such as Diwali and Karva Chauth. These occasions bring business equivalent to the whole year,” he said.

He said the business provides employment to thousands, and keeping it out of the goods and services tax ambit has given it a lease of life.