The Hindu Business Line : AP Handicrafts Corpn targets Rs 10-crore annual turnover

THE Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd is expecting a sales turnover of Rs 10 crore during this calendar year from exhibition programmes conducted by the organisation all over the country.

Last year, it had achieved a sales turnover of Rs 8 crore from exhibitions conducted in various places in the country. Some of the programmes of the Corporation were assisted by the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), New Delhi.

Mr P. Venkataramudu, Manager, Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporium, said that the corporation markets the products of over 1,50,000 artisans through its network of 15 sales emporia. The sales turnover of the corporation stood at Rs 38 crore in the year 2000-04.

The strategy of the corporation is to sell quality products and aiming at lesser margins for high volume of sales for viable functioning of the organisation, he said on the occasion of the Lepakshi exhibition-sum-sale at Kottayam.

APHDC, he said, had set up procurement centres at craft concentrated pockets such as Tirupati, Vijayawada, Vizag and Hyderabad, where procurement is done regularly from the artisans after examining the quality, skill and price so that the customer gets a fairly competitive price.

The Corporation thus strives to function as a bridge between the craft persons and the customer and attempts to avoid unfair trade practices by the middlemen.

It had also set up Craft Development Centres (CDCs) with the assistance from the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts, New Delhi in selected craft concentrated pockets. Craft persons are provided with tools and equipment, raw material and all other infrastructure under a common roof in these centres.

CDC products are being marketed through the Lepakshi Handicrafts Emporia network and through the exhibitions organised from time to time.

At present the CDCs are at Hyderabad (bidri), Warrangal (brass-ware), Sri Kalahasthi (wood carvings), Bobbilli (musical instruments), Ushagon (dokra tribal castings). As many as 200 crafts persons have benefited from these CDCs, he said.

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AP Handicrafts Corpn targets Rs 10-crore annual turnover

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