The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is setting up an international lace trade centre at Narsapuram in Andhra Pradesh with an outlay of Rs 15.33 crore.

This infrastructure is being created to facilitate the development and marketing of lace products.

N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, will lay the foundation stone on Sunday at Narsapuram in West Godavari district.

Panabaka Lakshmi, Union Minister of State for Textiles, and State ministers will be present at the inauguration, according to a statement.

“The lace centre will be a great boon to persons involved with the work of producing, designing and exporting of lace products. Periodic visit of designers will enable the artisans, entrepreneurs and exporters to develop new product lines,’’ according to Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, EPCH.

“EPCH is working actively to promote the handicrafts clusters at Narsapur region,’’ he said.

The project is a part of the Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme of the Ministry of Textiles.

Narsapur is an important location for lace products. Over one lakh women are involved in making of lace products.

More than 80 per cent of the exports of lace products originate from the East and West Godavari region. Their workmanship is known in India and major markets of the US, Europe and Japan.

The council has already set up successful projects for cluster development at Saharanpur, Moradabad and Jodhpur.

During the first quarter this fiscal, handicraft exports touched Rs 4222.38 crore, registering a growth over 30 per cent. Export target for 2012-13 has been set as Rs 15,500 crore.

>rishikumar.vundi@thehindu.co.in

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