The Hindu Business Line : Steps to boost handicrafts exports

The Government would evolve a set of measures in consultation with the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) to substantially step up the productivity and export competitiveness of India's handicrafts.

Disclosing this at an open house discussion with handicrafts exporters and entrepreneurs in Moradabad, the Minister for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, highlighted the crucial role of the handicrafts sector as it provides direct employment mainly to the underprivileged and economically weaker sections.

Big job sector

As it is the second largest employment provider after agriculture, it is therefore a natural focus area for the UPA Government to generate large-scale gainful employment for the masses, he said. He said the Government would earnestly pursue the target of handicrafts exports of Rs 39,000 crore by 2009-10 as this would result in four to five-fold spurt in direct and indirect employment opportunities.

"Although Indian handicrafts exports have been growing consistently at over 20 per cent, over the past decade, India's share in international handicrafts is just about 2 per cent. The world market for handicrafts is estimated to be of the order of $235 billion. While China has cornered almost 30 per cent of this, other major competitors of India include Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey and Latin American countries. Our immediate target should be doubling of India's share to 4 per cent," Mr Ramesh said.

Buck up

He said for this to happen, Indian exporters have to make all-out efforts to improve productivity, quality, designs, packaging, presentation and marketing of their products. He said the potential of many States should also be realised such as Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Chhattisharh, Jammu and Kashmir and the North-Eastern region, the Minister added.

The other suggestions included strengthening major crafter clusters and providing institutional support to extant manufacturers and exporters, design, product and technology upgradation.