Due to growing demand in new markets like China and Latin America, the carpet exports from the nation grew 6 percent to USD 72 million in July, reports media.

According to the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) data released on Friday, carpet exports stood at USD 68 million in July, 2011.

"The exporters are getting good number of orders from new markets like Latin America, Africa and China," a CEPC official said.

However, he said, demand is yet to pick up in the US and European markets.

The US and European markets account for over 60 percent of the country's total carpet exports.

The Council expects carpet exports to touch USD 1 billion in 2012-13 compared to USD 808 million in the last fiscal. The carpet exports sector employs 2.5 million people.

Among the categories which have registered maximum growth in July are handmade silk carpets that grew by 43 percent, followed by synthetic carpets by 37 percent and tufted carpets by six percent.

But in April-July 2012-13, carpet exports dropped by six percent to USD 291 million compared to the same period last year.