LAUNCHING OF ACTIVITIES TO PREPARE INDIA AS PARTNER COUNTRY IN AMBIENTE 2019

New Delhi – August 29, 2018 – A press meet was organised in Hotel Taj Mahal, New Delhi today to launch activities to prepare India as Partner Country in ‘Ambiente 2019 to be held from 8 – 12 February, 2019 at Frankfurt, Germany.

Shri Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Shantmanu, Development Commissioner [ Handicrafts], Mr. Stephan Kurzawski, Senior Vice President, Messe Frankfut, Germany and Mr. Raj Manek, Managing Director, Messe Frankfurt India Pvt. Ltd. were present. Large number of media person from print and electronic were also present to cover the event.

Ambiente Fair held at Frankfurt every year in the month of February is one of the oldest established and well known fairs for presentation of new products, new trends and new innovations. More than 4500 companies from 80 countries participate in this fair. The fair attracts around 1,50,000 trade visitors. Majority of the items displayed at the fair are houseware, decorative, home furnishing, fashion accessories, Christmas decoration and wooden handicrafts etc.

While speaking on the occasion Chief Guest Shri Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Textiles, said: “India is happy to be the Partner Country at Ambiente 2019, one of the biggest global consumer goods and trade fairs 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.”

Germany is major market for Indian products and hence Ambiente is an important marketing medium for Indian companies world over said Shri Rakesh Kumar, ED – EPCH. Shri Kumar further elaborated that over 445 Indian companies participated in Ambiente February 2018 with 56 handicrafts exporters and five master craftpersons participated under EPCH banner. Looking at the large participation from India in the show, EPCH motivated the Messe Frankfurt, Germany to declare India as partner country during ‘Ambiente 2019 to be held from 8 to 12 February, 2019 and Messe Frankfurt at a festive ceremony on the final day of Ambiente 2018 declared India to be the “Partner Country” in Ambiente 2019. After Japan, India became the second partner country in this show in Asia.

Following in the footsteps of Denmark, France, Japan, the USA, Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands, the forthcoming Ambiente partner country will be the Republic of India. “I am very pleased that we were able to present the Republic of India as a partner country for the next Ambiente – India has an incomparable diversity, a rich culture and also a tradition of art and craft. It’s also among our absolute top countries in terms of exhibitors. I’m confident that its presentation will be a real highlight at Ambiente 2019 for visitors and exhibitors from all over the world”, says Stephan Kurzawski, Senior Vice President, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH.

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.

India’s exports of handicrafts to the European Union was USD 761.26 million in 2017-18. Out of total handicrafts exports of EU, Germany alone accounts for US$ 176.43 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.