Lucknow: A delegation from the Lucknow Chikankari Handicrafts Association recently met the Raksha Mantri and Member of Parliament from Lucknow, Rajnath Singh, at his residence in Delhi to seek relief on GST rates for Chikankari products.
The delegation highlighted that while several handicraft sectors across India have been given GST concessions, Lucknow’s world-renowned Chikankari embroidery continues to face a steep 18% GST rate on stitched textiles. They urged that this rate be brought down to 5% to protect the centuries-old craft and safeguard the livelihoods of lakhs of artisans associated with it.
The delegation comprised Association President Sanjeev Agarwal, General Secretary Shailesh Tandon, Senior Vice Presidents Pramesh Rastogi and Dilip Khairajani, along with Treasurer Jitendra Rastogi.
Chikankari, an intricate hand-embroidery tradition native to Lucknow, enjoys global recognition for its delicacy and timeless appeal. However, stakeholders fear that high taxation could threaten the survival of artisans who already struggle to compete with machine-made alternatives.
Assuring his support, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he would take up the matter with Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman and make every effort to ensure necessary relief is extended to the artisans.
