The stiffening US-China trade and tariff war has nurtured a golden opportunity for different manufacturing clusters in Uttar Pradesh, including the famous Aligarh lock industry.
In the evolving geopolitical matrix, Aligarh is rapidly strengthening its global market position in lock shipments.
According to export data, India leads the global chart of lock shipments ahead of China and Vietnam.
The key export markets for locks comprise the US, the UK and Australia.
Per data till April 17, 2025, India topped the global lock hardware exports with 40,664 shipments, followed by China (30,289 shipments) and Vietnam (4,836 shipments).
From October 2023 to September 2024, India exported 3,578 shipments, showing a growth of 10% over the previous year.
China exports locks worth $1.19 billion to the US annually, holding a 66% market share.
However, US’ 245% tariff on China has made shipments more expensive, creating an opportunity for Aligarh to capture a larger pie of the lucrative US market.
Aligarh lock industry was included in the flagship One District One Product (ODOP) scheme in 2018, which offered incentives to local entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Aligarh-based lock industry major Link Locks has invested Rs 100 crore to expand capacity.
The state government’s pro-business policies have boosted entrepreneurial confidence, positioning Aligarh to expand its share in the global lock market.
Moreover, the US-China standoff has created opportunities beyond the lock industry, opening doors for exports of household products like kitchenware, tableware, plastic items, lamps, hair clippers and firecrackers from UP.
China currently holds a 72% share of the $148 billion annual export market in these products, with India at just 2.9%.
UP, home to the largest number of 9+ million MSME units, is well-positioned to fill this gap, thus bolstering ‘Brand UP’ globally.
The UP Defense Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) has further opened new opportunities for Aligarh, with is one of the six nodes including Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Agra.
The UP government has invested Rs 122 crore to develop Aligarh node of the UPDIC. Aligarh node has so far attracted Rs 3,300 crore in investment so far.
This is not only advancing the defense sector, but also benefiting other local industries, particularly hardware and lock industry, by driving technological progress and helping meet global standards.