Although handicraft exports clocked marginal growth in December 2009, the upward trend in volumes has revved up revival hopes of SME units in the sector. Export volumes in the last month of 2009 stood at Rs 1,124.16 crore, as compared Rs 1,098.58 crore clocked in December 2008, thereby signalling a surge in order books of SME handicraft exporters.
Beginning of a turnaround
Handicraft export growth in December 2009 suggests that the declining trend in the sector has finally been arrested. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) has attributed the marginal increase in exports largely to the measures undertaken by the Indian government in the recent past to revive the sector.
Various export promotional measures and sops introduced by the government over the last year have certainly helped small-scale handicraft exporting units withstand the recessionary pressures. Besides, pick-up in global demand has also been immensely helpful for reviving dwindling export volumes, said GP Singh, spokesperson of Punjab Handlooms, a small-sized store selling handmade items in Kolkata.
In order to provide further impetus to the handicraft export growth, the government has proposed to develop mega clusters in Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Narasapur (Andhra Pradesh) for the benefit of local artisans and SMEs in these regions.
Establishment of mega clusters will enable small handicraft units to avail world-class infrastructure and better production facilities, thereby also helping them to meet their business needs, said M Agarwala, proprietor of Jindal Crafts, a small-sized handmade products supplier in Faridabad, Haryana.
Source : articlesnatch
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