Handicrafts industry to generate 2m jobs by 2010

New Delhi, Mar 19 (UNI) Two million new jobs are to be created in the handicrafts industry, which is set to triple its exports to Rs 39,000 crore by 2010, the government said.

The handicrafts industry is the second largest employer after the agriculture sector and therefore the natural focus area for generating large scale employment for the masses, said Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh.

Over six million artisans and crafts people are presently employed in the handicrafts industry.

Handicrafts exports from India has been growing consistently at 20 per cent over the past decade, but India's share in the global market is only two per cent, Mr Ramesh said.

The world market for handicrafts is estimated to be around Rs 235 billion dollars. China's share is the highest at 18 per cent.

''Our immediate target is doubling of India's share to 4 per cent,'' he said. By 2010, the government expects the share to go up to 6 per cent.

The government is stressing on improving productivity, quality, packaging and marketing of products to achieve the target of 6 per cent by 2010.

According to Mr Ramesh, the potential of many states like Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir, which have traditional handicraft industries, have yet to be realised so that products from these states could find place on the exports list, he added.

The government will initiate long and short term measures in consultation with the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts to substantially improve productivity and export competitiveness of India's handicrafts, he said while taking part in an open house discussion with exporters and entrepreneurs here yesterday.

UNI FZ HS BD1822