UPs bone jewellery fails to pull in buyers

Stall 90 of the Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Expo at the Trade Fair this year might look like yet another jewellery stall to visitors.

Stall 90 of the Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Expo at the Trade Fair this year might look like yet another jewellery stall to visitors. While it is jewellery without doubt,these artisans hailing from Loni in Uttar Pradesh craft their wares out of bones.

We normally use camel bones,but are comfortable with bones of any large animal. Every family in our locality is engaged in this work. I learnt it from my father,who was the first in our family to take up the job, said Mohammed Siraj,one of the craftsmen.

Siraj is supported by the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). This is his second consecutive year at the IITF.

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Siraj claims all his products are completely hand-made,except for polishing of the final product,which is done by machines. The artisans design the products,which are dyed using natural materials.

The artisans have little idea of the worth of their products in the international market,or which countries their products go to,as exporters buy it from them.

The present annual turnover of the (Loni bone) cluster is estimated around Rs 20 crore,with 80 per cent export-oriented production mostly to the US,the UK,South Africa,Afghanistan and the Gulf countries,especially Saudi Arabia, an NIESBUD pamphlet states. It also mentions that the industry is 3,000-worker strong.

We sold a lot of pieces last year,but sales are not encouraging this year. It is probably due to the designated business days at the fair. We have not received any franchise enquiries either, Siraj said.

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Bone jewellery is also available at Delhis Sadar Bazaar,Janpath market and Paharganj,he added.

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