Establish handicrafts souvenir shops: Irani

At the inauguration ceremony of the IHGF Delhi Fair Autumn 2016, Irani commended Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), the organiser of the fair, for creating an infrastructure that helps not only handicrafts exporters, but also provides direct and indirect employment to many people.

“Artisans and crafts persons are the backbone of handicrafts sector and they should be provided all required assistance, with regard to design intervention and technology, in order to create marketing platforms for their products,” she added.

The minister appreciated EPCH for bringing products from natural fibres made by artisans and crafts persons of North Eastern, Narsapur and other craft clusters, at the world’s largest handicrafts fair. She also congratulated EPCH in attracting buyers from more than 100 countries, with an increase in number of visiting buyers by around 23 per cent over last year.

“Handicrafts sector has achieved greater heights since independence and IHGF-Delhi Fair is one of the reasons for this progression,” said Ajay Tamta, minister of state for textiles while addressing the gathering at the ceremony.

Over 5,000 international buyers and over 450 buying agents belonging to more than 110 countries have come to visit the ongoing fair in Delhi. Apart from overseas buyers, domestic volume retail buyers from many leading retail chains and e-commerce firms are also participating in it.

The fair has more than 2,950 exhibitors from all over India showcasing around 2,000 product lines, styles and designs of home, lifestyles, and fashion and textiles products. It is unique as the exhibitors constitute Indian participants only and buyers come from all over the globe to source a wide and varied range of products from India to cater to all segment of consumers in their home countries.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India