The story
Hupari, a village near Kolhapur, has made silver ornaments since the early 1900s, when local goldsmiths began making hand-woven silver anklets. The skill spread from family to family until most households in Hupari and nearby villages were doing some part of the work: wire drawing, chain weaving, soldering or polishing. Traders from across India buy Hupari paijans, and the craft received a GI tag in 2024.
In numbers
The Chandi Karkhandar (Udyojak) Association, Hupari cluster had 136 functional units making silver ornaments; average investment in plant and machinery was Rs 2 lakh per unit.
Brief Industrial Profile of Kolhapur District, MSME-DI (Ministry of MSME) · 2012Hupari Silver Craft is a registered GI (Application No. 792, Certificate No. 581 dated 30-03-2024); the applicant is the Chandi Karkhandar Association, Hupari.
GI Registry (IP India) – Application No. 792, Hupari Silver Craft · 2024MIDC lists a Specialized Silver Zone at Hupari, Kolhapur, with integrated infrastructure and common facilities for silver units.
MIDC focus sector – Gems & Jewellery · 2026
GI tag
- Hupari Silver CraftApplication no. GI Application No. 792, Certificate No. 581 (30-03-2024)GI Registry (IP India) – Application No. 792, Hupari Silver Craft
Ways in for a newcomer
- Online sale of GI-tagged Hupari anklets and chains
- Job-work for wholesale silver traders
- Hallmarking and testing services for silver
- Design and CAD services for new silver jewellery ranges
Problems the cluster faces
- Silver price swings tie up working capital
- Mostly home-based units with old tools
- Need for a testing facility and common design centre (cluster report)
- Competition from machine-made chains
Businesses to start here
Handicraft Jewellery Unit →Gold Plating of Optical Frames and Jewellery (Job Work) →Metal Handicraft Unit →Artificial Jewellery Shop →