Hindtex infusing confidence in handicraft makers

Varanasi: The initiative of Eastern UP Exporters' Association (EUPEA) to hold 'Hindtex 2011', a buyer-seller meet at an exhibition of handicrafts and textile products, is yielding positive results.
The exhibition is attracting buyers, especially of wooden handicrafts, toys and artifacts.
On the second day of Hindtex-2011 on Friday, this buyer-seller meet witnessed a large number of buyers from cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and also from abroad.
A wide range of textiles and handicrafts have been displayed by 36 exhibitors participating in the meet where products of home furnishing, curtains, dress fabric, wall hangings, banarasi saris, silk textiles, scarves, stoles, embroidered fabric, tussar silk, raw silk, tanchoi, jamawar, jamdani, Banarasi beads, soft stones and wooden handicrafts are on a display.
The good response from buyers at this event has enthused the state awardees Ram Khelawan Singh and Rameshwar Singh who manufacture wooden handicrafts and are participating in the three-day meet.
"With the same price of articles for the last five years and the business not picking up, we are dependent on different NGOs for the sale of our articles. The NGOs collect and exhibit our items in different cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai. This is how this art is still surviving," said Ram Khelawan Singh. He said Hindtex meet would help sellers find new buyers.
"We have received enquiries from Bulgaria, USA, UK, Germany, Canada, Thailand and many other countries," added Singh.
Handmade works of brocade, zardozi, hand embroidery, jaamdani and a variety of silk products were the major attraction at the exhibition on Friday. According to an exhibitor, Alok Pandaya, the meet is turning out to be a good platform as it is facilitating interaction between buyers and manufacturers.
Earlier on Thursday, textile secretary Rita Menon inaugurated the meet. According to marketing director, K K Bajpai, Menon announced certain incentives and measures taken by the government to boost the exports of handlooms and handicrafts. The sops include 2% subvention on export interest, providing packing credit in foreign currency and 4% scrip for exports of handlooms and handicrafts for Latin American countries under focus product and focus market scheme.
About 110 products have also been added under this scheme.
Menon also announced that Hindtex would be made a permanent event and included in the fair calender and funds will also be increased as DC Handlooms and DC Handicrafts would jointly sponsor the event from next year.
According to Bajpai, a number of buyers from Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, Japan, USA, France, Canada, Columbia etc are participating as buyers in the event.