The city of Moradabad, also known as "Pital Nagri," or brass city, is a leading cluster for brassware in the country. Sheet metal craft is a technique unique to Moradabad and some parts of Punjab. It's now used to handcraft a variety of items, from utensils, doorknobs, key chains, lamps, taps, trays and toys, to ritualistic objects like diyas (lamps) and panchpatras (water container).

Sheet metal craft is an extremely technical process that requires expert artisans. It involves beating flat sheets of copper, brass, bronze or bell metal into the required shape. The production can take from four to six weeks, and it involves melting, casting, joining, scraping, engraving and polishing.

Objects made out of sheet metal are often beautified by enamelling, appliqué work, etching, repoussé, tinning, embossing, and damascening. Engraving can be intricate, with shallow engraving called naqqashi or sada kalam, and deep engraving called khudai or sia kalam. Deeper engravings can be filled with coloured lac, making the handicraft even more beautiful.

The metal crafts of Moradabad got certified with the Geological Indication (GI) tag in 2014.

Before sheet metal craft arrived in Moradabad about 400 years ago, it was practised by artisans of the Jandiala Guru community in Punjab, as the Thatheras brass and copper craft. Muslim families settling in Moradabad adopted it later. The style enjoyed the patronage of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal king.

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