New Delhi (29/06/2022): The Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts (EPCH) organized its 23rd Handicrafts Export Awards on June 28, 2022, in New Delhi. The awards honor the exporters who have made significant contributions to the country’s development and exports of handicrafts. It aims to create a sense of healthy competition amongst exporters and encourage healthy competition through the institution of such prestigious awards.
Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textile was invited as the Chief Guest. Mr. Goyal positively acknowledged the EPCH Team and the exporters presented at the event.
“I hope that tonight, the exporters who will be awarded tonight will encourage other exporters to work harder and strive for excellence in their field,” Mr. Goyal said. “I applaud the EPCH for working hard to choose winners in a transparent and poised manner despite the Covid – 19 pandemic delaying the awards,” he said. “I hope that the awards for the other pending years are caught up with and are presented at some point to regularize the process,” he said. “We have a database of about 30 – 35 lakh handicraft artisans. I hope that we come up with a method to reach out to these artisans and do something to help and benefit them for their future.”
“The heritage of handicrafts is centuries old,” Mr. Goyal said. “The future of handicrafts is in our hands. We can all gather our thoughts and visions for the future of handicrafts and create a road map for it,” he said. He even urged the people present there to brainstorm over the question ‘How do we preserve our heritage and traditions that our country can proudly claim?’
“I see young handicraft exporters sitting in the audience tonight and it fills me with a zeal that these youngsters would be so full of optimism and they would be looking at the future in a positive light,” he said. “I urge that the awardees of tonight and the other exporters and markets present here to come up with innovative ideas that will help us promote the heritage of handicrafts on a larger scale,” he said hopefully. “Infinite possibilities are there, the limitations are in our thinking and our ambition.” He talked about little innovations that changed the way we will and made life easier and encouraged the people present at the award show to think of such innovations in the handicrafts sector.
“If we think about it our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is himself a brand ambassador of the handicrafts,” he said and talked with pride about an artistically woven Kani shawl recently worn by Mr. Narendra Modi. “It is a sort of brand-building exercise for our handloom sector,” he said. “It is even a rule at our office to only gift handicraft products to the international dignitaries.”
He further urged the exporters to become self-sufficient and not depend on government subsidies. “I believe that subsidies become a limiting factor in the growth of the industry,” Mr. Goyal said. “I believe that instead of waiting for the next subsidy to arrive, the workers should focus more on the felicitation, quality, consistency, brand, packaging, and design factors of the production,” he said. He also encouraged the exporters present there to think about providing the artisans that make the handicrafts the profits and benefits that they deserve for their work. He challenged the exporters to increase the salary of the artisans by Rs. 1000 per month so that the artisans can reap the profits made by the export community. “If we increase the income of 30 lakh families by even Rs. 1000 per month, then it could positively transform their livelihoods,” he said.
Piyush Goyal also praised Mr. Rakesh Kumar, the Director-General of EPCH for his work in the industry. “It is generally believed by people that the MICE sector, i.e. Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, is a loss making sector, that it entirely depends upon government granted subsidies, or that it is a government sponsored entity, but Rakesh Kumar has proven them all wrong,” he said.
“I believe that if we all come together and create a roadmap and dedicate ourselves to take a big leap before we celebrate the 100 years of India’s independence,” said Mr. Goyal. “Only then will the future of the handicrafts sector be bright,” he said. “We will be there to witness that victory and be proud that we contributed in helping the handicrafts and handloom sector get the glory it deserves.”
23rd EPCH Award function to honour best performing Handicrafts Exporters of India | Photo Highlights
