The Hindu : New Delhi News : Go aggressive, Minister tells industry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 14, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Go aggressive, Minister tells industry

Staff Reporter

Shankersinh Vaghela inaugurates five-day 20th Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair at Pragati Maidan

TAKING A CLOSE LOOK: Visitors checking out the products on display at the 20th Indian Handicraft and Gift Fair after its inauguration at Pragati Madain in New Delhi on Thursday. The exhibition is on for five days. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

NEW DELHI: Even as exports of handicraft products in the country registered an increase of 25 per cent over the past year, the Union Minister for Textiles, Shankarsinh Vaghela, said on Thursday that there was a need to adopt aggressive marketing strategies to increase India's current share (only 1.6 per cent) in the world market for handicraft products.

Inaugurating the 20th Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) at Pragati Maidan here, Mr. Vaghela emphasised that the handicrafts industry was not only one of the largest foreign exchange earners for the country but also one of the biggest employment providers for people from the economically weaker sections of society.

Mr. Vaghela assured full support of his Ministry to the handicrafts sector in implementing aggressive international marketing programmes focused on key markets and selected product groups.

Elaborating on some of the highlights of the exhibition, the Chairman of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, Navratan Samdria, told media persons that more than 7,500 overseas buyers from various countries were expected to visit the Fair in the next five days. Apart from traditional buyers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, there would also be buyers from many African nations, Latin American countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Spread over an area of 80,000 square metres and 16 halls at Pragati Maidan, the Fair will be a platform for showcasing more than 800 different types of products.

More than 1,800 exhibitors from all over the country would be participating.

Eco-friendly products

One of the highlights of the fair would be the exhibition of eco-friendly products from North-Eastern region of the country which have been made under the guidance of international designers aimed at world market.

The president (IHGF-Autumn 2005 Committee), Vinay Gulati, said awareness about the Indian handicraft products overseas was likely to increase as several journalists from overseas business magazines were also visiting the fair.

Currently Indian handicrafts export was worth Rs. 13,033 crores and was likely to increase on account of focussed marketing strategies, he added.

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