EPCH to Honor Outstanding Handicraft Exporters at 24th Handicrafts Export Awards Ceremony
New Delhi – 20th August 2024 – The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is organising its 24th Handicrafts Export Awards Ceremony on 21st August 2024 at New Delhi. The Indian handicraft exporters will be felicitated with trophies and merit certificates in various categories, for their outstanding performance during the years 2019-20 and 2020-21. The event will witness massive gathering of India’s handicraft exporters from all parts of India along with members of Committee of Administration-EPCH, senior Govt. officials, diplomats from different overseas Embassies etc. said Dileep Baid, Chairman, EPCH.
The “Chief Guest” for the ceremony will be Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Textiles and will give away the awards in the presence of “Guest of Honour” Smt. Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles and Smt. Amrit Raj, IPoS, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles informed Mr. R. K. Verma, Executive Director, EPCH.
Dileep Baid, Chairman, EPCH, said that “The Handicrafts Export Awards go beyond merely celebrating achievements; they affirm our shared commitment and collective vision for the future. This event serves as an opportunity to reflect on the journey we have embarked upon together and to recognize the crucial role each exporter plays in the ongoing success. A total of 123 awards will be conferred upon 62 winners of the year 2019-20 and to 61 winners of the year 2020-21, along with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. The Awards, instituted in 1989, are presented across four broad categories: the Top Export Award, Platinum Performer Certificate, Product Group-wise Awards, Woman Entrepreneur Award, Regional Awards and the together totaling to 34 Trophies, 6 Platinum Performer Certificates, 4 Hat-trick Trophy, 57 Merit Certificates, 12 Regional Award, 9 Women Entrepreneur Awards and 1 Lifetime Achievement Award. The primary objective of these awards is to foster a spirit of healthy competition among exporters. Over the years, they have become a coveted recognition within the handicrafts export community, with many striving to secure a place among the awardees.”
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Chief Mentor in a role of Director General, EPCH and Chairman IEML said, “This annual event is eagerly anticipated by the entire sector, as it provides an opportunity for the handicrafts fraternity of India to come together, not only to receive recognition for their contributions to exports but also to applaud, encourage, and inspire one another. The achievements celebrated here are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire handicrafts exporting community, which has maintained its momentum and positive outlook despite the challenges faced.”
R. K. Verma, Executive Director, EPCH informed that the awards are based on the export performance of the exporters and are selected by the Export Awards Selection Committee. The Platinum Performer Award will be granted to those who have won the Top Export Award for more than three years. The Top Export Award Trophy will be presented to the exporter with the highest export performance across all handicraft product categories. The Woman Entrepreneur Award will be given to organizations led or wholly owned and directed by women alongwith other Merit Certificates, Regional awards, Hat Trick awards etc.
EPCH is a nodal agency 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 Handicrafts exports during the year 2023-24 was Rs. 32758.80 Crores (US $ 3956.46 Million) registering a growth of 9.13% in rupee term & 6.11% in dollar terms over the previous year, further informed by R.K. Verma, Executive Director-EPCH.
