Saurabh Gupta | 20 Feb, 2012
Dr. Rahul Khullar, Secretary Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry declared the 33rd edition of the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair (IHGF-Spring 2012) open at the world class venue of India Expo Centre and Mart at a colourful ceremony at Greater Noida on Saturday.

The four-day-long mega event is organized bi-annually by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) in the months of February and October known as IHGF Spring and IHGF Autumn respectively.

With focus on recycled and eco-friendly products at IHGF Spring 2012, over 2300 exhibitors from 28 States of India covering gross area of 100,000 sq. mtrs. will be displaying around 950 product lines, designs, styles, raw material base and concepts etc. Overseas buyers from more than 60 countries are expected to source their requirements under one roof at the world class mart which also houses 900 permanent show rooms.

According to Arvind Vadhera, Chairman, EPCH, the main  highlight of the fair will be special display by the State of Jammu & Kashmir.  J & K region is  known for traditional handicrafts and raw material bases and of late, have developed new designs, new product lines, new styles which are not only traditional but also modern and contemporary to suit the International requirement.

Handicrafts exports registered an increase of 23.44 percent at Rs. 8992.12 crore in the first 10 months of the current financial year 2011-12 as against Rs. 7284.48 crore during the same period last year and in dollars terms the exports went up by 18.91 percent at USD 1889.61 million in the first 10 months of 2011-12 as against 1589.17 million dollars during the same period in 2010-11.

According to Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, EPCH that with the realization that India must cultivate and develop new markets and new areas, emphasis  has been laid on the Latin American region.

The Government embarked on a special scheme under MAI programme for export promotion activities in that region and the EPCH took full advantage of the scheme and initiated an aggressive programme of publicizing and promoting Indian Handicrafts in some of the important countries of Latin American region. Efforts of the Council initiated a few years ago now continuing with goods results.

The exports of Handicrafts to Latin America were Rs. 356.52 crore in 2008-09 went up to Rs 370.15 crore in 2009-10 and further up to Rs 484.48 crore in 2010-11.

The Executive Director further mentioned that “EPCH is concentrating on Latin American Region with the intention of developing the region as one of the important handicraft markets.”

The major product lines on display at the fair will be Houseware, Decoratives & Gifts, Fashion Jewellery, Accessories & Bags, Cane, Bamboo, Christmas Decorations, Candles & Incense Sticks, Home Textiles, Furnishings, Furniture, Floor Coverings & Home Accessories.

Other attractions of this mega event will be holding of two important seminars at the fair venue including a Seminar  on Trends –Fall Winter 2012 Spring Summer 2013 by P.J. Aranador, Philippino Designer on February 19 & 20, 2012 at 4.30 pm.

Kiran Dhingra, Secretary Textiles, S.S. Gupta, Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Alka Arora, Addl. Development Commissioner Handicrafts also graced the occasion.