India is home to many quilting traditions. When India and Pakistan became independent in 1947, the newly drawn border ran directly through the Thar Desert, dividing communities who had long shared cultural practices. This continuity is especially visible in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, a city near the border, where shops selling vintage rallis offer quilts nearly identical to those found on the Pakistan side.

The ralli-making region of India lies in the Thar Desert across Rajasthan and Gujarat. Each area is home to distinct cultural communities. In Rajasthan, geometric patchwork designs clearly fit within the ralli tradition. In Gujarat, many quilts share design and construction techniques with rallis from Pakistan. In the Banni area of Kutch, along the border, the Mutwa produce patchwork patterns similar to those in Sindh as well as a unique pattern featuring an embroidered central field framed by about a dozen narrow fabric strips. Other designs—such as those produced by the Rabari, an old traditional community—are distinctive to western India and not seen in Pakistan.