Ajrakh, bandhani and handloom fabric prices vary because the same name covers very different work. A hand-made piece takes days of skilled labour. A machine-printed imitation takes minutes. The price follows the labour, the materials and the method, and you cannot judge any of them by the name on the label.
We do not publish prices here. The useful skill is knowing what each price level should buy you and asking for it in writing.
What is behind the range for ajrakh?
True ajrakh is block-printed on both sides, with resist and mordant stages and natural dyes such as indigo and madder, over several days. Ajrakh printing in Kutch describes the process.
The lowest-priced ajrakh-style fabric is usually screen-printed or digitally printed to imitate the look. The pattern may be the same, but it is not the same object. A mid-priced piece may be block-printed with synthetic dyes. The highest are natural-dyed and printed on both sides on fine cotton or silk.
What is behind the range for bandhani?
Bandhani is tie-dye, made by tying thousands of tiny knots in the cloth before dyeing. The price depends mainly on the fineness and the number of knots, the number of colours (each colour needs another round of tying) and the base cloth. How bandhani is made explains the stages.
Printed imitations of bandhani are common and cheap. To check which you have, look at the back of the fabric. Real tie-dye shows the pattern through on the reverse and has small raised puckers where the knots were.
What is behind the range for handloom?
Handloom means woven on a loom operated by hand, without electric power. The weave, the yarn count, the pattern and the loom time decide the cost. A plain weave in coarse yarn is quick. A complex pattern or a fine count takes far longer.
Powerloom cloth is often sold as handloom. The difference matters to your customer and to the law in some markets. See how to check that a fabric is genuinely handmade.
What else moves the price?
These factors apply across all three crafts:
- Yarn quality, such as fine combed cotton or silk against coarse carded yarn.
- Dyes: natural dyes cost more and take longer than synthetic ones.
- The maker's standing, and whether the work is certified or protected, as in GI tags for Gujarati crafts.
- The size of the order and how much of the design is custom.
- Fair pay for the artisan, which is part of the real cost if you want an ethical supply chain.
How to compare quotes
Searches for ajrakh fabric price or bandhani fabric price often show a single figure, but a single figure hides the method. Ask each supplier to state the method in words: block-printed or screen-printed, natural or synthetic dye, hand-woven or powerloom, number of colours, yarn and finished size. Ask for a photograph of the reverse side. If the supplier will not state the method, assume the lower-cost one.
Handcrafted prices also depend on the factors described in handcrafted textile price drivers, which is worth reading before you negotiate.
Next step
We can find makers who work the way you need, check samples and verify the method on site. Book a free sourcing review with the piece or photograph you want to match.