The story
Women in Mithila villages traditionally painted walls and floors for weddings and festivals using natural colours. After the 1966–68 drought, the painting moved onto paper as a source of income, and artists from Jitwarpur and Ranti won national awards. Madhubani Paintings was among the early GI registrations, and the style now appears on textiles and public murals.
In numbers
In hubs such as Jitwarpur, nearly 70% of families depend on painting sales; over 5,000 applications for artisan credit cards were made in Madhubani.
GST Rate Rationalisation: Expanding Opportunities for Bihar (PIB factsheet) · 2025The district profile records 314 units under 'Others (Mithila painting etc.)' with employment of 448.
Brief Industrial Profile of Madhubani District, MSME-DI Patna, Ministry of MSME · 2012
GI tag
- Madhubani PaintingsApplication no. Application No. 37Registration details of Geographical Indications (state-wise register), IP India
Ways in for a newcomer
- Online gallery and print-on-demand sales of artists' work
- Painted textiles and corporate gift orders
- Wall-mural contracts for hotels, offices and stations
Problems the cluster faces
- Printed copies sold as hand-painted
- Middlemen and low prices for artists
- Need for design training for new products
Businesses to start here
Online Folk Art and Art Gallery Marketplace →Handloom and Handicrafts Retail Shop →Textile Screen Printing Unit (Sarees and Fabrics) →