Handicraft exports up 10 per cent in Aug

NEW DELHI: Handicraft exports rose by about 10 per cent to USD 497 million in August 2012 even as demand remained subdued in major markets like the US and Europe.

In August last year, these exports stood at USD 452 million, according to the data provided by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts ( EPCH).

"The handicraft exporters are getting good number of orders from new markets like China, Latin America and Africa," an EPCH official said. The demand is yet to pick up in western markets like Europe, he added.

The US and Europe together account for over 60 per cent of the country's total handicraft exports. Among the items that registered the maximum growth in exports in April were artmetal wares, followed by embroidered and crochetted goods 114 per cent, hand-printed textiles and scarfs 59 per cent.

During April-August, handicraft exports rose by 9.7 per cent to USD 1.2 billion compared to the same period last year. The council expects handicraft exports to touch USD 3.2 billion in the current fiscal, compared to USD 2.75 billion in 2011-12.

Moradabad, Jaipur, Saharanpur, Jodhpur and Narsapur are the major handicraft hubs catering to world markets, employing one million people.