Almost every craft tradition here is named after somewhere. That is not decoration — it is the most useful fact about buying one, because the place carries the technique, the materials and usually the reason the thing looks the way it does.
This is an orientation, not a complete list. India has hundreds of living traditions and no single page holds them.
The north
Kashmir — Pashmina and Kani-woven shawls, papier-mâché, walnut wood carving. The shawls are the most imitated craft object in the country, which makes them the one to ask most about.
Punjab — Phulkari, a floss-silk embroidery worked from the back of the cloth.
Uttar Pradesh — Chikankari, the white-on-white shadow embroidery of Lucknow, and the silk brocade of Varanasi.
Rajasthan — blue pottery in Jaipur, hand block printing around Bagru and Sanganer, Bandhani tie-dye, and the Kundan and Meenakari jewellery traditions.
The west
Gujarat — Patola double-ikat from Patan, Kutch embroidery across many communities with distinct stitches, Bandhani, and Rogan painting.
Maharashtra — Warli painting, and the Paithani saree with its woven border.
Madhya Pradesh — Chanderi and Maheshwari weaves, both light cottons and silks, and Gond painting.
The east
West Bengal — Kantha running-stitch embroidery, Baluchari sarees with narrative panels, and Dokra metal casting.
Bihar — Madhubani painting, and the tussar silk of Bhagalpur.
Odisha — Pattachitra on cloth, Sambalpuri ikat, and the silver filigree of Cuttack.
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand — Dokra again, and bell metal.
Assam and the north-east — Muga and Eri silk, and cane and bamboo work across several states, with weaving traditions that differ sharply from one community to the next.
The south
Tamil Nadu — Kanjeevaram silk from Kanchipuram, Thanjavur painting, and bronze casting around Swamimalai.
Karnataka — Mysore silk, Channapatna lacquered wooden toys, Bidriware inlay from Bidar, and the Ilkal saree.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — Kalamkari, in its two quite different traditions, and Pochampally ikat.
Kerala — the off-white and gold Kasavu weave, Aranmula metal mirrors, and coir work.
What to ask a seller
Authenticity cannot be settled by looking at a screen, and this page will not tell you how to identify a genuine example of any of these. That is a trained eye — for several of these crafts it takes years — and a confident checklist would send you off checking the wrong thing with great confidence.
What you can do is ask, and in a live show you can ask while they hold it:
Where was it made, and by whom? A specific answer is a good sign. "Rajasthan" is a region; "a workshop in Bagru, I buy from them directly" is an answer.
Is it handmade throughout, or partly machine-made? Many traditions now have a powerloom version, which is a legitimate product at a different price. The question is whether the listing says which.
What is it actually made of? Ask for the fibre or the metal by name, not the trade name.
Does it have any Geographical Indication paperwork, and who issued it? A number of these crafts are registered, and a seller dealing in one will know whether theirs carries anything. Ask who issued it rather than treating the phrase itself as proof.
How long did it take to make? The most revealing question you can ask a maker, and the one that explains the price.
Why the place matters to the price
Two objects can look similar and be different things: one woven in the tradition, by somebody who learned it there, and one made to look like it. The second is not necessarily dishonest — it is only dishonest when it is sold as the first.
So the place is part of what you are buying, and a seller who is vague about it is being vague about the thing itself.
Questions people ask
Is a powerloom version a fake?
No, as long as it is described as what it is. Sold as handloom, it is misdescribed.
Does a GI tag guarantee authenticity?
It is evidence about origin, not a guarantee about the object in front of you. Ask who issued it.
How do I learn to tell the difference?
Handle a lot of them, buy cheaply at first, and buy from people who answer specific questions specifically.
More: guides by category, handicrafts, sarees and ethnic wear, handmade or resold, buying from the maker, finding a seller you can trust.