Promote handicraft exports

The International Conference on Promoting Export of Indian Handicrafts and a Program for Exchange and Sharing of Experience in Production Development and Market Access in the International Handicraft Sector was opened on September 17 in the capital New Delhi.

The workshop was attended by experts and artisans from Vietnam, China, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Ireland and the host country.

Doan VietMale, led by Mr. Le Ba Ngoc, Vice President of the Handicraft Export Association (Vietcraft) attended the workshop. Vietnam boothMaleDisplaying hand-embroidered items and stone carvings, attracting a large number of visitors.

Mr. Le Ba Ngoc said this is the first time VietnamMaleHe attended a workshop on handicrafts in India, with two artisans specializing in embroidery and stone carving directly demonstrating the production of products on the spot. He expressed his hope that in the trend of market integration, this workshop would be an opportunity for Vietnam to expand the export market for handicraft products, while also exchanging and sharing experiences with other countries.

Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Indian Handicrafts Development Board SS Gupta said that handicraft exports have made an important contribution to the Indian economy, with an average increase of 15% per year over the past few decades.

The value of Indian handicraft products is about 5,600 million USD/year, of which export turnover is 3,304 million USD and domestic consumption is 2,300 million USD. However, India has not exploited the international market as the market share of this country's handicraft products accounts for less than 2% of the world market.

According to SS Gupta, the Indian handicraft industry is facing huge challenges such as rising costs of labour and raw materials; cheaper mechanized handicraft products are also a threat to handicrafts. Therefore, the handicraft industry needs to upgrade technology, improve designs and quality of raw materials.

He also expressed hope that the conference will create conditions for Indian handicraft enterprises to exchange experiences and learn about markets with other countries.

According to baocongthuong-PH