SHRI ARUN CHANDAN, REGIONAL DIRECTOR NATIONAL MEDICAL PLANT BOARD, SHRI O.P. MALHOTRA,SHILP GURU, SHRI KIRTI CHANDEL, BDO, SUJANPUR, Ms. Shilpi Baekta, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Sujanpur, Himachal Pradesh, SHRI RAKESH KUMAR, DIRECTOR GENERAL – EPCH AND MR. AVNISH PARMAR, TREASURE, PRAYAS, HIMACHAL PRADESH

EPCH organizes Orientation Programme for Himachali Entrepreneurs

On Nov 4, 2019

Himachal Pradesh – November 4, 2019 – Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts [EPCH] has been performing multifarious activities not only to ensure the overall growth of handicrafts sector but also working for the upliftment of artisans and craftspersons engaged in handicrafts sector in different craft clusters of the Country particularly women belonging to weaker sections of the society. From time to time, workshops, seminars and entrepreneurship and design development programmes are being organised by EPCH so that artisans who are producing exquisite crafts in interior parts of the country can be provided design input to enable them to produce the products as per the prevalent designs and trends required in the International markets informed Shri Rakesh Kumar, Director General – EPCH.

Shri Rakesh Kumar, DG -EPCH said that Himachal Pradesh, popularly known as the land of God. The creative minds of the craftsmen of Himachal Pradesh have given birth to an astonishing range of handicrafts. Himachal Pradesh has a lot to offer. Stones, metal statues to dolls, pottery, paintings, rugs, carpets, shawls and jewellery are the exquisite crafts of Himachal Pradesh. But there are lots of challenges being faced by the artisans and craftpersons of Himachal Pradesh such as lack of design development, skill upgradation and market linkages. These challenges are hampering the overall marketability of the products of Himachal Pradesh.

SHRI RAKESH KUMAR, DIRECTOR GENERAL – EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL FOR HANDICRAFTS ADDRESSING THE LARGE GATHERING AT ORIENTATION PROGRAMME

Looking at the great demand of Himachali products in the International markets, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts in association with PRAYAS [An NGO working with artisans of Himachal Pradesh ] have organised an orientation programme at Sujanpur [ Hamitpur District, Himachal Pradesh today to provide handholding to the artisans of Himachal Pradesh by enhancing their skills through structured curriculum based skilling progrmmes, design development, production process to ensure quality norms, International product regulations and their participation in the fairs being organised by EPCH as well as in International exhibitions to enable them to create direct marketing linkages with the overseas buying community further elaborated Mr. Kumar.

Also present and spoke on the occasion were Shri O.P. Malhotra, Shilp Guru, Shri Arun Chandan, Regional Director, National Medical Plant Board, Shri Vijay Kumar, General Manager, DIC, Shri Avdesh Kumar, Addl. Director, O/o DC [ Handicrafts] and Shri Sandeep Sachan, Associate Professor, NIFT.

Ms. Shilpi Baekta, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Sujanpur, Himachal Pradesh also spoke on the occasion and encouraged the participants to undertake entrepreneurship as she acknowledged since skill is available in the state and it a matter of providing design and product development inputs so that with the help of EPCH they can market their products in the National and International markets.

Dr. Arun Chandan, Regional Director, National Medical Plant Board also spoke on the occasion and encouraged the entrepreneurs to take up production of pattals and donas using local raw material taur leaves which are available in abundance in Himachal Pradesh and take the advantage of the plastic free drive that is being run across the world.

Shri Rakesh Kumar said that this handholding of artisans of Himachal Pradesh will definitely improve market linkages and ultimately result in improved livelihood and enhance the artisans base to convert them into exporters.