May 19, 2021
The event exhibits the richness and diversity of Indian handicrafts as part of its culture and heritage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the opening spoke about the role of digitisation in helping artisans and craftsmen enhance the sector with durable, user-friendly products.
The virtual event connects exhibitors of home, lifestyle fashion, furniture, and textile products with local and international buyers.
The event features over 1500 manufacturers and exporters showcasing their products to overseas buyers from over 85 countries.
The 51st edition of the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair 2021, inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, continues its successful virtual format as a way to connect hundreds of product exhibitors with a diverse range of potential customers, both local and from abroad. The event scheduled from May 19-23 exhibited the richness and diversity of Indian handicrafts as a unique feature of the country’s history, culture and heritage, as per an official Ministry of Textiles release on May 19. In his opening message, PM Modi spoke about the role of digital technology as generations of artisans and craftsmen from different regions adapt to current trends and work to collectively enhance the sector’s reach with durable, user-friendly products. The Indian handicrafts industry is highly fragmented with over seven million regional artisans looking to showcase regional art and craftsmanship in the domestic and global markets. Digital technologies will go a long way in helping their cause.
Several sessions of the IHGF-Delhi Fair have been conducted virtually by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) since June 2020, enabling exhibitors of home, lifestyle fashion, furniture, and textile products to connect with a wide range of overseas buyers, domestic volume buyers, and buying representatives. As India’s largest virtual fair in these sectors, the 51st IHGF Delhi Fair 2021 invited over 1500 manufacturers and exporters to showcase their high quality products to overseas buyers from more than 85 countries around the world.
To boost the handicrafts and handloom industry in the country, the Government of India and the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) have pushed for capacity-building initiatives and upskilling programs in various states across India. The Government is also creating a supportive ecosystem for the handloom and handicrafts industry by enabling collaborations between international designers and fashion houses, NGOs, and handloom promoting organisations. The handicraft and handloom sector in India is a US$3.3 billion industry and contributes over one billion dollars annually in export earnings. The export of handloom products from India was valued at US$ 343.69 million in FY19 dropping marginally to US$ 319.02 million in FY20.