Amid global slowdown, India’s handicraft exports surged by 10 percent to Rs 14,782 crore during April- December period of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 13,460 crore during the same period of last fiscal. According to the data released by the Textiles Ministry, in dollar terms, the value of exports has increased by 3 per cent, to $2,282 million during April-December 2015 from $2,215 million during April-December 2014.
Among handicrafts India exports are artmetal wares, woodwares, hand-printed textiles and scarves, embroidered and crochetted goods, shawls as artware, zari goods and imitation jewelry. The data showed that the size of the artmetal wares grew 6 per cent to Rs 3,943 crore, followed by woodwares 10 per cent to Rs 2,564 crore, handprinted textiles & scarves 18 per cent to Rs 699 crore, imitation jewellery 14 per cent to Rs 1,599 crore and miscellaneous handicrafts 12 per cent to Rs 4,033 crore.
In order to promote Indian Handicraft products and to showcase the rich heritage of India, the government is leveraging e-commerce to promote handloom products. The textiles Ministry’s Office of Development Commissioner (Handlooms), has engaged three e-commerce entities namely - Craftsvilla Handicrafts, Mumbai, Pegarse Technologies, Bangalore and Gocoop Solution & Services, Bangalore to promote handloom across eight states. These will operate in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Rajasthan.
Besides, the government has also created a policy framework under Brand India Handloom Partnership Framework to enter into partnership with leading handloom retail stores. As part of this framework, handloom retail stores will partner with the Office of Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles in selling Indian handloom brand products. The ministry has shortlisted 13 retail stores across 10 cities.