Indian handicrafts exports rise sharply in November

According to data from the Export Promotion Association of Indian Handicrafts, although the demand in the EU market has not gathered momentum, the Indian handicraft industry is experiencing high demand from China and the United States.

Markets, such as the spiralling demand in the United States, have stimulated India’s handicraft exports to rise by 42% in November, with exports reaching US$106 million, compared with US$74.6 million in exports during the same period last year. Traditionally, the EU and the United States together accounted for 60% of Indian handicraft exports. However, Indian exporters of handicrafts are currently working to promote and generate demand for their products in emerging markets in Latin America, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Middle East.

In November, shawls and handicrafts exported the most, up by 124% year-on-year. In the first eight months of the current fiscal year, the export value of the handicrafts sector increased to US$1.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 18.3%.

The Export Promotion Association for Handicrafts predicts that the total exports for the current fiscal year are expected to reach US$32. In the same period last year, exports were 2.75 billion U.S. dollars. Saharanpur, Narsapur, Moradabad and Jaipur are the major arts and crafts centres in India and provide employment for about one million people.