Introduction
The handicrafts sector is of importance to the Indian economy as it is one of the largest employment generators and account for a significant share in the country’s export. The state and regional clusters contribute significantly to handicrafts export. The Indian handicrafts industry is fragmented with more than seven million regional artisans and over 67,000 exporters/export houses promoting regional art and craftsmanship in the domestic and global markets.
Key Markets and Export Destinations
Handicraft export from India decreased 3.35 per cent y-o-y during 2019-20 to reach US$ 3.53 billion. During this period, export of various segments stood as below:
- woodwares at US$ 761.02 million
- embroidered & crocheted goods at US$ 578.26 million
- miscellaneous handicrafts at US$ 1,003.57 million
- handprinted textiles and scarves at US$ 336.49 million
- imitation jewellery at US$ 220.97 million
- artmetal wares at US$ 452.22 million
Indian handicrafts are exported across geographies, with the top 10 destinations being the US, the UK, the UAE, Germany, France, Latin American countries (LAC), Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia.
source:IBEF