Rs 7 crore financial outlay for export promotion from NER

New Delhi, Oct 16 (UNI) An integrated and comprehensive project involving a financial outlay of Rs 7 crore has been formally launched for promotion of exports from the North-East Region.

The project is jointly launched by the Ministries of Commerce and Textiles, Department of North Eastern Region (DONER), Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and North Eastern Department Finance Corporation Ltd., said Mr Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, EPCH, at the ongoing Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

The most important part of the project will be international marketing of the products produced in the North Eastern Region which will be done through a series of Buyer-Seller Meets in India and abroad and participation in Product Specific Shows on a repetitive basis in the world markets besides regular participation in IHGF at the Expo Mart, Mr Kumar said.

He further said that in 2003, EPCH had undertaken a project to promote the exports of handicrafts from North Eastern Region. Till then, there were hardly any direct export from this region. After that, more than 200 entrepreneurs turned into successful exporters and have generated and executed orders worth over Rs 50 crore since the start of the project.

Elaborating on the project, Mr Kumar said that the emphasis will be laid on human resource deveopment, design development, Common Facility Centre and International marketing.

EPCH and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd will be the implementing agencies while the major funds will be provided by the DONER besides some grants the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and North Eastern Development Finance Corpn Ltd The responsibiity for utilising the funds will rest with the North Eastern Development Finance Corpn Ltd.

A Monitoring Committee consisting of the representatives of DONER, Ministry of Commerce, NABARD, Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation and EPCH has been set up to monitor the progress of the project. The Monitoring Committee will meet once in 3 months to review the progress.

The Common Facility Centre at Guwahati, Mr Kumar said, will manufacture different products of handicrafts of international quality in vast quantity. It will have imported machines for cutting, finishing and manufacturing Bamboo and Cane for making various types of products including furniture. The Centre will also have seasoning plant and chemical treatment plant.

The region will also have a Design Studio which will be equipped with CAD, CAM systems, computers, plotters and printers.

The integrated and comprehensive project is expected to generate export orders from the NER around Rs 200 crores per annum.

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