Handicrafts exports up by 22% to $452 million in August

NEW DELHI: India's handicrafts exports grew by 22 per cent year-on-year to USD 452 million in August on the back of a rise in demand from new markets like the Middle East and Latin America.

The country's handicrafts exports stood at USD 369.7 million in August last year, according to data provided by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts.

"There is an increase in orders from new markets like Africa, Latin America and the Middle East," EPCH Executive Director Rakesh Kumar said.

However, demand is sluggish in traditional markets like the US and Europe, he said.

The US and Europe together account for about 55 per cent of the country's total handicrafts shipments.

During April-August, 2011-12, India's handicrafts exports grew by 21.3 per cent year-on-year to USD 1.1 billion.

Among the items that registered the maximum growth in exports in August were woodwares, which saw a 41.6 per cent jump in outbound shipments, followed by imitation jewellery (up 35.3 per cent) and shawls as artwares (up 33.8 per cent).

The council expects India's handicrafts exports to touch USD 2.7 billion in the 2011-12 fiscal. During April-March, 2010-11, the country's handicrafts shipments jumped by about 26 per cent vis-a-vis the previous fiscal to USD 2.3 billion.

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