Firozabad is a rare kind of town in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Famous both locally and globally for its glass industries, Firozabad is 44km from the historical city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, and is well connected to the capital, New Delhi, which is 24km away, by the National Highway and by rail. Although no minerals are available in the district, Firozabad has become synonymous with glassware and is known as the glass capital of India, supplying over 70% of all of the glass items produced in the traditional sector in the country. The culture of making utility and decorative items of glass is deep-rooted, with its population engaged int he work for generations. the city is lined with wholesale and retail shops that sell glass in finished form and as glass rods that buyers can melt to create their own glassware. Firozabad's glass industry, which is about 300 years old, is especially famous for its artisans, particularly the experts skilled in the art of glass blowing. It also has a reputation as the world's capital for manufacturing beads which are exported for use in clothing, shoes and other accessories. This article provides an overview and analysis of the glass industry in the region.
