New Delhi, Feb. 23 Pointing to increasing competition from China, Taiwan and Korea in the handicrafts sector, the Union Minister of State for Textiles, Ms Panabaka Lakshmi, has asked handicraft producers and exporters in the country to explore new product range and raw material base as well as to redefine marketing strategies to increase India's share in markets abroad.
Ms Lakshmi said her Ministry has accorded top priority to handicrafts and doubled the budgetary allocation for the sector to Rs 957 crore in the 11th Five Year Plan from Rs 425 crore in the 10th Plan.
The Government has restructured the Central Sector Schemes by incorporating new components such as provision for marketing linkages to artisans, setting up of common facility centres and e-kiosks for better development and promotion of Indian handicrafts, she said.
Ms Lakshmi was speaking after inaugurating the ‘Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) Spring 2010', organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) at India Expo Centre and Mart near Greater Noida at the weekend.
Thanks to the economic revival, EPCH is expecting business worth Rs 1,000 crore from the fair as against Rs 800 crore in the last fair. Around 5,000 buyers from across the world including South Africa, Indonesia, Argentine, Namibia, and Malaysia are taking part in the fair.
In order to boost handicrafts exports, EPCH has asked the Government to declare Jodhpur and Saharanpur as mega clusters in the forthcoming Budget. Last year, Narsapur and Moradabad were declared as mega clusters. EPCH has also proposed the establishment of a warehouse in Latin America.
Since the slowdown in traditional export destinations such as the US and Europe has hit Indian handicraft exports, it is important for the sector to diversify to other regions such as Latin America, Central Asia, Africa and West Asia, the Minister said.
The Indian Furniture and Accessories Show at Jodhpur next month will help increase exports from the Jodhpur handicraft cluster, she said.
The EPCH Chairman, Mr R.K. Malhotra, said on the occasion that the Council would organise skill development programmes, set up of CFCs at 25 craft clusters and help in developing new product lines based on natural fibres.
The handicrafts sector provides employment to over six million artisans and crafts persons, mainly belonging to the socially and economically weaker sections.
Source : Business Line