EPCH Organises Interactive Session on “India – A Profitable Sourcing Destination for Handicraft” at Gifts & Lifestyle Middle East 2025, Dubai

New Delhi – 12th November’2025 – On the second day of Gifts & Lifestyle Middle East 2025 at Dubai, UAE, EPCH organized an Interactive Session on “India – A Profitable Sourcing Destination for Handicrafts.” The objective of the session was to bring together global buyers, sourcing professionals, and Indian handicraft exporters to explore new business opportunities, discuss evolving market trends, and highlight India’s growing position as a preferred and reliable sourcing partner in the global handicrafts value chain.

During the session, Dr. Neeraj Khanna, Chairman – EPCH along with Avdhesh Agarwal, Chief Convener – EPCH, interacted with participating international buyers and trade visitors.

Dr. Neeraj khanna, Chairman-EPCH shared insights into the strengths of India’s handicrafts sector, which is rooted in traditional craftsmanship while adapting to modern market demands. Dr. Khanna emphasized India’s evolving identity in the global handicraft sector, aiming to transform its image from “Bharat – the Supplier” to “Bharat – the Creator”. He further extended a special invitation to all trade visitors for the upcoming IHGF Delhi Fair Spring 2026, scheduled to be held from 14th – 18th February 2026, Delhi. A fair recognized as one of the world’s largest exhibition of handicraft, providing an unparalleled sourcing platform for global importers, wholesalers, and retailers to discover a wide array of Indian handcrafted products.

Avdhesh Agarwal, Chief Convener-EPCH highlighted that Indian artisans possess a unique ability to blend creativity with functionality, making Indian crafts stand out in global markets. He added that interactive sessions like these help exporters understand buyer preferences and provide customised solutions to meet international standards and expectations.

The session concluded with an engaging discussion on emerging design trends, sustainable production practices, and the role of collaborations in driving the future growth of the handicrafts industry.

EPCH is a nodal institution for promoting exports of handicrafts from the Country to various destinations of the world and projecting India’s image abroad as reliable supplier of high quality of handicrafts goods & services. The overall Handicrafts exports during the year 2024-25 was Rs. 33,123 Crores (US $ 3,918 Million). The exports of handicrafts items to UAE during the year 2024-25 is Rs. 2544.92 Crores (US $ 300.90 Million) registering a growth of 24 % in rupee terms and 18 % in dollar terms informed by R. K. Verma, Executive Director-EPCH.