Handicrafts, Gifts Fair generate over Rs 1,800 cr

New Delhi, Oct 17: The Indian Handcrafts and Gifts Fair 2006 (IHGF-2006) Autumn, which concluded here today, has generated a business worth over Rs 1,800 crore during its 5-day exposition at the India Expo Centre and Mart (IECM) on the Greater Noida Expressway.

More than 8,000 foreign buyers from different countries visited the fair to source their requirements under one roof spread over diverse segments.

About 1850 exhibitors had showcased around 1000 best products at the 22nd edition of IHGF-2006 to make a dent in the 235 billion dollar world gifts market.

The Government has a target to achieve a turnover of over Rs 48,000 crore and aims to increase in market share to 4 per cent in the global trade by the end of 11th Five Year Plan.

Export turnover from handicrafts and gifts during the current financial year is expected to clock Rs 16,000 crore.

The Fair was organised by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) under the aegis of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).

EPCH Executive Director Rakesh Kumar informed that buyers had come from US, Canada, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey, South Africa, Greece, Hungry, Czech, Poland, Australia, Japan, Kong Kong, New Zealand and countries from Latin America, Central Asia and West Asia.

For the first time, the venue for the IHGF has been shifted from Pragati Maidan to the IECM, which has infrastructure comparable to any international venue abroad.

Special focus had been given to the North Eastern states and seperate pavilions with theme of ''Nature'' had been put up to be viewed by the foreign buyers looking for eco-friendly bamboo and cane gifts and handicraft items.

UNI