The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : KHDC all set to expand operations

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Karnataka - Bangalore

KHDC all set to expand operations

Special Correspondent

Showrooms to be set up in other States, agents to be appointed in New York, Los Angeles

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

For excellence: Winners of the Kushala Kala State Award after the presentation ceremony in Bangalore on Tuesday.

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation has come up with an ambitious plan to expand its activities not just in other States but also abroad in order to help artisans. This is expected to increase its turnover from Rs. 37 crore to Rs. 50 crore.

Disclosing this at a programme organised here on Tuesday to present the Kushala Kala State Awards and certificates of appreciation for 2004-05 to artisans, KHDC Chairman and Managing Director L. Shantakumari said the corporation was planning to appoint agents in New York and Los Angeles in the U.S. “These two cities have a large number of people who have migrated from Karnataka. They are interested in buying handicrafts from their native State,” she said.

In about a month, KHDC will set up showrooms in Mumbai, Kochi, Surat and Puducherry. A market survey is being conducted in these cities to find a good location for setting up showrooms, she said.

The corporation will also have merchandise arrangements with major shops in the new international airport at Devanahalli. In addition to this, efforts are on to introduce the e-commerce method of business to enhance revenue. It is planning to double the number of annual handicraft exhibitions from the present four to five.

All these measures would go a long way in supporting the artisans, Dr. Shantakumari said. The handicrafts of Karnataka had always been in demand in other States and countries, she said and hailed the craftsmanship of local artisans.

Faced with a severe shortage of sandalwood for artisans, the KHDC has decided to go in for captive production of the precious wood. The will enter into an agreement with gram panchayats to grow sandalwood. Wood from these plantations monitored by the gram panchayats will be provided for the exclusive use of artisans.

Dr. Shantakumari said the plan would ensure the availability of sandalwood after 40 years. The shortage of the wood was so severe that it might not be available for artisans after two to three years, she said.

Award-winners

Nine artisans, five of them women, received the Kushala Kala State Award, which comes with prize money of Rs. 25,000 each. Nine others got certificates of appreciation along with prize money of Rs. 5,000 each.

The awardees are M. Ramamurthy, Bangalore (wood carving), Khalil-ur Rahman Khan, Mysore (rosewood inlay), Lakshmi Bai (Bidriware), Vittal N. Shet, Bangalore (gold and silver craft), S.V. Siddalingacharya, Sulibele (stone carving), Radha Sullur, Sagar taluk (Butti Chittara art), K. Seetavva, Sandur taluk (mirror embroidery on textiles), B.B. Raghavendra, Bangalore (traditional painting) and Shakuntala Shivappa, Sagar (textile kasuti).

Certificates of appreciation were given to B. Bangarappa, Siddachari, Taufeeq Ahmed, G. Prabhakara Acharya, Basavannappa Kumbar (posthumous), Radha Muralidhar Andhalagi, Ekappa Ramachandrappa Chitragar, V. Gangadhar and Malini Ananth.

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