Indian handicrafts exports to China on right growth path

NEW DELHI: The Indian handicrafts exports to China have witnessed significant growth in the last few years, according Mr Ravi K Passi, President of IHGF Spring 2012, here.

China is famous for being a handicrafts manufacturing nation and are popular for their ethnic designs, fine raw material bases of China Clay and excellent craftsmanship. India has been witnessing strong competition from China and China's share in world trade of handicrafts is almost 30%.

Mr Ravi K Passi, said, “However, it is well known that tremendous mechanization has taken place in China in production of handicrafts largely due to excessive demand in all kinds of handicrafts. Most of Chinese handicrafts are produced by machines and hand crafting is done only for finishing touches and this is one of the important reasons for low unit value of the Chinese products.”

The handicrafts exports to China during the fiscal year 2008-09 have been worth Rs 418.33 crore and has been significantly rising year after year during the financial year 2010-11. It has been Rs 945.72 crore posting 94.07% growth in a time period of three years. It displays that the Indian Handicrafts have been finding stable market in China.

During 2009-10, the handicrafts products exported from India to China consisted of metal crafts, wood crafts, hand printed textiles and scarves, fashion jewellery and accessories, shawls as artware, embroidered and crocheted goods and mix of different types of handicrafts classified as mix handicrafts.