The government is talking to Bharti Retail to allocate retail space in its stores for handicrafts and handlooms items in order to popularise them in upmarket segment.
"We have had some queries from Bharti Retail and we hope to persuade them in the future so that they are being able to allocate some shelve space for handlooms and handicrafts on a permanent basis," Textiles Secretary Rita Menon told reporters here on the sidelines of a 'Colours of Teej' exhibition here.
She added that all major domestic retail chains such as Pantaloons and Shoppers Stop were invited in the buyer/seller meets, which are organised by the offices of development commissioner for handicrafts and handlooms.
Bharti Retail, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bharti Enterprises, has neighbourhood format stores which operate under the "Easyday" brand. The company has launched more than 122 neighborhood stores in states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
Besides, it has 11 compact hypermarkets called 'Easyday Market' in states, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Bharti Enterprises has also tied up with Walmart for opening retail stores. Bharti-Walmart opened their first cash and carry joint venture store in Amritsar in Punjab in 2009.
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Further, Menon said, the sectors faced problems like lack of organised supply chain and standardisation of specifications.
The development commissioner for handicrafts and development commissioner for handlooms are working on these issues, she said.
"...Perhaps we would have something in the 12th Plan with the private retail sector," Menon added.
The handicrafts sector provides employment to 7 million artisans, while the handloom sector employs 2.377 million people.