Positive factors like soaring demand from western markets like the US pushed India’s handicraft exports to US$ 454 million in December 2012, which is 34.4 percent higher than December 2011’s exports of US$ 338 million, the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) data shows.

 

The items that registered highest export growth during December 2012 include hand-printed textiles, which marked a 26 percent year-on-year export growth and shawls as art ware, which achieved a 61 percent year-on-year export growth.

 

The growth in handicraft exports has been mainly achieved due to a rise in orders from the US and Chinese customers, even though the demand from EU is still to pick up.

 

Meanwhile, Indian handicraft exporters are also trying to tap new markets like Russia, Latin America and West Asia.

 

During the first three quarters of the current fiscal, India exported handicrafts worth US$ 2.05 billion, which is a year-on-year rise of 20 percent.

 

EPCH pegs India’s handicraft exports during the current fiscal at US$ 3.2 billion, against last fiscal’s US$ 2.75 billon.

 

Jaipur, Jodhpur, Saharanpur, Narsapur and Moradabad are the leading handicraft centres of India.