Banda is one of the districts in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh of great historic importance. It is famous for its Shazar stone which is used for making jewellery.

The district is also well known for the magnificent architectures like the sites Khajuraho and Kalinjar. Khajuraho is a World Heritage Site famous for its elaborately carved temples. The fortress of Kalinjar is famed for its war history and its glorious rock sculptures. The district is said to be the birthplace of the great ancient poet Valmiki who has written the immortal epic Ramayana in Sanskrit language. His ashram at Lalapur Bagrehi hills was one of the ancient centers of Vedic Learning.

District Banda is located in geographical extends between 24º 53' to 25º 55' N latitudes and 80º 07’ to 81º 34' E longitudes. The total geographic area of the districts is about 4460 Sq.km. The district forms part of the northern fringe of the peninsular India coming in contact with the Gangetic alluvium. North side of this district is bounded by Fatehpur district, west by Mahoba, east by Chitrakoot and south side bounded by State of Madya Pradesh.

The district largely consists of irregular uplands with outcrops of rocks intermingling mostly with lowlands, frequently under water during rainy season. The Baghein river traverses the district from southwest to north-east. The tract lying to the right of the river is intersected by numerous smaller river and rivulets, but to its left is a flat expanse, most part of which is made up of Mar and Kabar soils, eroded and converted into ravines along the banks of the rivers Ken and the Yamuna. The economy of the districts is predominantly agricultural. The main crops grown are: Wheat, barley, gram, linseed, mustard, Masoor, Peas, etc. during Rabi and paddy, Jowar, Bajra, Til, Moong, Urd, Arhar, Sanai, vegetables, etc. during Kharif season. The following table depicts the land utilization pattern of the district.

The district fosters around 3,730 industries that employ around 11,6312 across sectors including, Agro-based, ready-made garments and hosiery, wooden and wood-based product, others stone crusher, handicrafts, transport agencies etc. The following are the prominent type of industries in the district. In order to boost the industries within the district, the district administration has established few industrial areas to facilitate the production process of various industries/ sectors. The following are the details of the existing industrial areas in the district.

The cluster producing Shazar stone in Banda district is a unique cluster as the product is not available anywhere in the world. Moreover, the process required for exploring and finishing of Shazar stone is one of its kind. Banda District is a renowned place where from last 300 years the Shazar Craft is being undertaken. The key facts of the cluster is given alongside.

Shazar stone is known to be the nature’s gift to mankind, this stone is termed as a geological wonder with very high geological value in a sense that at volcanic age of earth the liquid minerals (mostly manganese and iron) get deposited in the layer of silicon oxide in such a way that they create multiple patterns like shurbs, trees, animals etc., giving each stone a different pattern and thus making it unique. Geologically it is of Quartz family in the category of “AGATE” with hardness of 7 in mho’s scale near to gems like Topaz and Sapphire. An ordinary useless looking pebble when cleaned and polished by highly skilled artisans becomes a beautiful Shazar Stone. These stones are found only in Ken River, in the banks of Banda city and in the holy river Narmada near Hoshangabad in Madhya Pradesh, but the craft related to Shazar is only situated in Banda district.

The existing products range includes:
► Jewellery
► Statues
► Handicrafts ;

► Artisans
► Suppliers of Shazar Stones
► Makers of the finished products
► Wholesalers/distributors/retailers

The cluster has no active industry associations in the district however, DC(Handicrafts), UPHDMC support the craft at state level to facilitate the craft’s promotion, production and marketing at a small scale. ;

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Shazar Stone is obtained from Ken River which flows in the west of Banda district Bundelkhand region. From obtaining the Shazar stone to trimming and shaping it, the craft involves a lot of hard-work and expenditure. This stone is used for making jewellery and other decorative items. In order to analyze export data of Shazar stone craft, HSN code 680299 has been used which pertains to category of ‘Other Precious Stone. It has been noted that China, Brazil, Italy and India are the top exporters of the product. ;

The below figure shows the key importers of this product for the above mentioned HS code. The potential markets for India and the cluster to tap have been identified as follows based on Signed FTAs, High Growth Markets, Untapped Potential the countries which India is exporting but UP isn’t. Thus, the following countries should be targeted to increase the sales and turnover of the cluster.

The cluster actors/ stakeholders can divert their focus on creating products like cufflinks, coasters, jewelry box, incense stick stands, flower vase etc. These additional product range could help expand the existing market of the cluster by catering to a larger audience.