Indian Handicrafts

New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) More than 2,000 leading exporters and manufacturers will display their products at the 23rd edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (Spring) - 2007, to be held from February 22-26, being organised at the state-of-art India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida, UP.

About 8,000 overseas buyers and buying agents are expected to source their requirement for Indian handicrafts from the six-day fair, being organised by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), an apex body under the aegis of the Textiles Ministry.

''We are expecting that export orders worth Rs 1,500 crore will be generated during the fair,'' EPCH Executive Director Rakesh Kumar said.

Indian arts and handicrafts are not just decorating homes in India but are increasingly becoming a part of gifts and decorations during festivities across the globe.

The fair has played a major role in promotion of handicrafts exports from the country which totalled Rs 16,186 crore (3,656 million dollars) in 2005-06, up from Rs 2,364 crore (723.12 million dollars) in 1993-94, the organisers said.

Since 1994, the fair has been organised to promote international marketing of cottage industry products under one roof at the Expo Centre and Mart, spread over a sprawling 235,000 sq ft area.

The fair provides an opportunity to showcase new, innovative designs and explore export from the decentralised sector, which in turn generates employment and improves living standards of six million craftpersons of the country.

UNI