Industry Minister Piyush Goyal visits exhibitors at Yashobhoomi on day 2 of Bharat-Tex 2024

New Delhi – 27th February 2024 – The 1st edition of Bharat-Tex 2024 being held at Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi, New Delhi from 26th to 29th February 2024 runs its four days course at Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi, New Delhi. Inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s 5F Vision, the event has a unified Farm to Fashion focus, covering the entire textiles value chain.

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Govt. of India, visited the exhibition today at Yashobhoomi. He was accompanied by Amrit Raj, Development Commissioner, Handicrafts; and Dr. M Beena, Development Commissioner, Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. During his visit, Goyal released the Ministry of Textiles’ Designers Directory 2024. He interacted with exhibitors as well as Master crafts persons showcasing live demonstrations of various craft skills in a specially curated pavilion by O/o Development Handicrafts. Appreciating their expertise and products on display, he emphasised on ‘local for global’ and market potential of these products. He called the products at the exhibition, “Apeksha se zyada sundar (much better than expectation)” and a medium to show India’s capabilities in this sector in times to come. “For the first time handlooms and handicrafts that complement each other are put together strategically at such a venue, easing visitation and sourcing by the buying community,” he added.

Piyush Goyal also addressed the gathering of exhibitors, officials and organisers during his visit. Appreciating their efforts, he encouraged them with guidance for the way ahead. He made a clarion call for making the sector self-sustaining with timely implementation of key competences in the right direction, ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas, focus on innovation, inventory, sustainability, branding and apt use of technology; participation in big exhibitions to show collective strength, branding and marketing like ‘India Store’ in receptive and fashion conscious markets that can give on the spot value; work towards highlighting handmade products as premium rather than competing with machine-made goods in value terms; keep all segments of the value chain connected and support each other, especially artisans; respect the path and people that will take one to India’s international market dominance; create and be part of special Marts that give more market visibility in prime markets, etc. Towards all-round readiness to display strengths as well as face challenges, Goyal also urged all stakeholders to ensure that no deserving product should not be left out from getting the GI tag, which gives a distinct recognition and added marketability to goods and produce.

Dileep Baid, Chairman, EPCH, apprised the Hon’ble Minister of the need to scale up production and speed up deliveries, in the present competitive scenario that also sees market uncertainty, globally. He shared that support for scale and speed was essential to achieve EPCH’s goal of tripling exports – ‘Teen Guna Tees Tak’.

The EPCH Chairman added, “The visiting overseas buyers as well as domestic visitors from India have liked the products on display and have positively engaged with exhibitors. The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts has over 265 exhibitors and over 270 participants from the carpets and handloom sectors participating through the Carpet Export Promotion Council and Handloom Export Promotion Council at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka. Live demonstrations of crafts like hand tufted carpet and rug weaving from hubs in Uttar Pradesh; Patola sari from Gujarat; leather craft from Jodhpur; wood carving from Sahranpur; moonj craft from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh; Panja dhurrie and block printing from Rajasthan, by Master crafts persons have gained attention.”

Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Secretary General, Bharat Tex 2024, Chief Mentor-EPCH and Chairman-IEML said, “We are pleased, the Hon’ble Minister, Piyush Goyal has assured that the issue of 45 days limit for paying taxes towards payment of goods supplied to foreign buyers by MSMEs, taken up by us with the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Finance, is being looked into.” Speaking about the exhibition he added, “This one of a kind display of traditional craftsmanship alongside cutting-edge technology of India’s textile story is well supported by deliberations and discussions for the way ahead. The show also feature various state pavilions, product display from NIFT, exquisite artisan products with the support O/o Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) & O/o Development Commissioner (Handlooms), KVIC, SFAC – Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium etc.

Among the other dignitaries at the show was visited by Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Director General, Directorate General of Foreign Trade who met with handicraft exhibitors to discuss their issues and challenges faced at the time of exports. Issues such as Trade Barrier, e-commerce exports, cross borders logistics were discussed in detail. Sarangi heard patiently and suggested ways to tackle these challenges.

Buyer Laurentiu Telechi from SC Sundar Home SRL, Romainia called the fair really nice for its variety in home textiles, carpets and rugs. A group from Kuwait including Mostafa Alharajli, Haytham Rasmi and Rasmi Bakri Khalil were looking for inspiration as well as textiles for women’s fashion wear. Buyer Ömer Durmuş from Intesa Global, a Turkish company shared, “we are in the business of handmade carpets since twenty years. The exhibition is great and very well put together. I am very impressed by the collection of handmade carpets at the fair.”

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is a nodal agency for promotion of exports of handicrafts from the Country and create brand image of magic of the gifted hands of millions of artisans and crafts persons engaged in production of home, lifestyle, textiles, furniture and fashion jewellery & accessories products in different craft clusters of the Country. The overall Handicrafts exports during the year 2022-23 was Rs. 30,019.24 Crores (US $ 3,728.47 Million), as informed by R. K. Verma, Executive Director, EPCH.