Union Textiles Secretary Anant Kumar Singh todayinaugurated the 45thedition of IHGF-Delhi Fair at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida.
The fair is being held from February 23-27, 2018. Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is organising the fair.
"Handicraft sector plays a significant and important role in the country's economy.It provides employment to a vast segment of craft persons in rural and semi urban areas and generates substantial foreign exchange for the country while preserving its cultural heritage.
"Handicrafts have great potential as they hold the key for sustaining not only the existing set of millions of artisans spread over length and breadth of the country but also for the increasingly large number of new entrants in the craft activity."
The 70 lakhs artisans from various craft clusters who are engaged in production of handicrafts are the backbone of the Handicrafts sector, he said.
O P Prahladka, Chairman of EPCH, said the handicraft exports during the year 2016-17 stood at Rs 24,392.39 crore,a 13.15 per centincrease in comparison to last year.
However, the exports of handicrafts during 10 months of the current financial year 2017-18 stood at Rs 19,862.19crore.
Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director EPCH, said overseas buyers from over 103 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland and Hong Kongwill visit the five-day extravaganza.
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