Maintain credibility of 'Made in India' brand abroad: Vaghela

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Greater Noida, Oct 17 (UNI) Concerned over maintaining the credibility of 'Made in India' brand, Textiles Minister Shankersinh Vaghela has advised the exporters not to spoil their market abroad by resorting to 'cheating' with buyers, presenting them a 'wrong' product as an antique piece.

He was also cut up with the old Indian business practice of bargaining and said, ''There should be no bargaining and the buyer would happily pay the tagged price. By indulging in bargaining, the seller looses confidence of the buyer that affects his business badly''.

''The genuine things attract the buyers and command a demanded price without any compromise,'' Mr Vaghela said.

''If an article is old enough and originally belongs to a period, the same doesn't need any details about it, but if a piece is made recently and has been changed to look pretty old by using modern techniques is a cheating with the buyer,'' Mr Vaghela said while inaugurating the 24th edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (Autumn) 2007 here last evening, Rather a system should be evolved to ascertain the 'age' of the product, the Minister asserted and added that in older time, handloom was a necessity. Now the handicraft has been added with art involving great imagination to give it a 'shape'.

''The genuine things attract the buyers and command a demanded price without any compromise,'' he said.

Mr Vaghela said over 2,600 exhibitors were displaying their products from diverse fields at the Asia's biggest handicrafts and gifts fair, organised by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) here at a venue which is no less than an expo mart in Shanghai, China.

On the occasion, a book titled 'Tana Bana -- Handwoven and Handcrafted Textiles of India' edited by Ms Mallika Sarabhai was also released. The book traces briefly the history of origin and development of textiles in India which is estimated to be almost 5000 years old and has been publised by the Ministry of Textiles along with Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).

Handicraft fair held in other parts of the world do not enjoy this kind of uniqueness. The ability to attract buyers from various parts of the world depends primarily on displaying products of multiple country origin. As against this, all the products displayed at IHGF are of Indian origin, but still manage to attract foreign buyers.

In view of continuous appreciation of rupee, the target set for the current financial year (2007-08) at Rs 21,000 crore seems difficult, but not impossible, Mr Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, EPCH, said.

The fair is expected to generate business enquiries and orders of over Rs 1,500 crore, he added.

The exports during the fiscal FY 2006-07 was to the tune of Rs 17,288.14 crore, up from Rs 14,526.85 crore during FY 2005-06, increasing 19.01 per cent.

UNI

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