INDIA: Handicraft industry growing beyond decorative, gift items
BharatTextile.com (subscription), India
NEW DELHI: The Indian handicrafts industry is changing rapidly as there is a growing trend where handicrafts are looked upon as utility products and not just a decorative and gift items, as per Rakesh Kumar, executive director, Exports Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
The industry, of which annual production is estimated at around Rs 50,000 crore, provides direct employment to more than 6 million artisans and craftsmen.
In the handicrafts industry, which is well spread across the country, the bulk of handicraft exports come from a few commodities including embroidered and crocheted goods, hand-printed textiles, sari and sari goods.
However, the export of hand printed textiles and embroidered crocheted goods have been rising faster in comparison to other products as the demand in the overseas market as US, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Japan, Italy and Australia is more.
Kumar further added that the council is continuously making efforts, to attract buyers from countries that have participated before in the exhibition, on inviting more and more buyers from Latin America, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa.
The Indian handicrafts industry, which is based on the rural and cottage sector in the interiors of the country, is facing tremendous competition from other developing countries including China, Taiwan, Korea, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
For the handicrafts, the world market is estimated at around $ 235 billion and is growing at 5 percent per annum; whereas India’s share in the world market is less than 2 percent.