INDIA TO BE PARTNER COUNTRY FOR AMBIENTE 2019 – EPCH
Ambiente is the leading international trade fair and the world’s number one in products associated with dining, cooking, household goods, gift items, jewellery, fashion accessories, interior decoration, ideas for the home and furnishing accessories. This year, 445 Indian companies from India participated in the show
A high level delegation led by Hon’ble Minister of State for Textiles Shri Ajay Tamta visited Ambiente 2018. The delegation included Shri Anant Kumar Singh, Secretary Textiles, Shri Shantmanu, Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Shri O.P. Prahladka, Chairman – EPCH and Shri Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director – EPCH.
Messe Frankfurt at a festive ceremony on the final day of Ambiente declared India to be the “Partner Country” in Ambiente 2019. Mr. Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt said “After Japan, India is now Ambiente’s second Asian partner country, which gives us great pleasure”.
Watched by a large number of guests from industry and government, Ms. Pratibha Parkar, Consul-General of the Republic of India in Frankfurt, accepted the partner country globe from the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Wepke Kingma.
The partner country globe is always handed over at a ceremony in honour of the current partner country. The country that receives the globe can then present itself at a special show at the next Ambiente. This year’s presentation was staged by the Netherlands.
Minister of State for Textiles, Ajay Tamta, said: “India is happy to be the Partner Country at Ambiente 2019, one of the biggest global consumer goods and trade fairs. It will provide a platform to position handmade Industry as the source for quality and niche design products for the world. India’s participation will add to the vibrancy and diversity of the fair and familiarize global manufacturers, retailers and brands with the robust entrepreneurship in Indian textiles, apparel and consumer products industry and will open up opportunities for sourcing and investment in India. India is looking forward to this collaboration that will help to develop long-term sustainable partnerships of Indian industry with the value chain in Germany and other countries.”
Shri Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director said that a high level delegation led by Shri Anant Kumar Singh, Secretary (Textiles) met the representatives of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition and discussed the modalities of India becoming a Partner Country in Ambiente 2019 in order to give products from India a better projection in the show. Also discussed were the promotional campaigns, activities be undertaken, B2B meetings, seminars, cultural events so as to make India’s participation bigger, better and grandeur.
Through this initiative crafts of India will be promoted by 137 offices of Messe Frankfurt located all across the globe amongst over 5 lakh buyers who visit the show every year at Frankfurt. This will surely give major boost and quantum jump in the exports of handicrafts from the Country. India will also be first time projected at the main locations of Messe Frankfurt at Galleria, Theme trends pavilions. This will also further add to upgrade the Indian craft to the high end markets of the world elaborated Mr. Rakesh Kumar.
Shri O.P. Prahladka, Chairman – EPCH said that it is a great opportunity for India to showcase its incomparable diversity, rich culture, tradition of arts and crafts at such a big platform like Ambiente.
India’s exports of handicrafts to the European Union was USD 987.28 million in 2016-17 registering a marginal growth of 7.29% over the previous period. The exports to this region have been on increase for past few years. Out of total handicrafts exports of EU, Germany alone accounts for US$ 178 million. Focus on India at this fair will help in further boosting exports, said Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director of EPCH.
EPCH is a nodal agency responsible for promotion of exports of handcrafted products from India to various global destinations and project India’s image abroad as a reliable supplier at competitive prices.
