Handicraft sector need for government support

Posted on 28 mar 2008

India is one of the important suppliers of handicrafts to the world market. The Indian handicrafts industry is highly labor intensive cottage based industry and decentralized, being spread all over the country in rural and urban areas. Handicrafts Industry has been globally considered, as the rich heritage of India. This is why Indian Handicraft is in huge demand all over the world due to its unique appeal and craftsmanship. Originally handicrafts sector started as a part-time activity in the rural areas.

About 45% of the crafts of the region are related to cane and bamboo, while 7.6% woodcrafts, 4.2% each of metal crafts and ornaments, 16% artistic textiles and 15.2% embroidery. Despite this high demand and increases, craftsmen from the North-East are facing problems in marketing as well as the production of handicrafts. Indian craftsmen problems can be solved only by Government. The Government can support them only giving them a financial help in order to enlarge the craftsmen technology.

Lamonte Syiem, an artisan from Meghalaya, said: "The region is still lurking in the economic backwaters." He added: "Unless the government takes concrete steps to answer the problems faced by us, the exquisite artifacts will no longer be profitable for artisans to devote time and spend money. We also need financial help from the government. Despite producing a wide range of handicrafts and handloom items, we still don't have money to market them. Technology know-how is another area where the authorities can help us."

The development of Handicraft sector in India is stopped by many factors like: high cost of transportation, lack of infrastructure, weak production base, lack of training and product design development, packing and packaging, and product dissimilarity and inability to sell in bulk. Realizing the problems faced by crafts persons, the North-east Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Limited is taking several steps for their enhancement.

"Training programs have been introduced to enhance their skills. Though the people are skilled, they don't have a market exposure to sell their products. Their markets are limited and shrinking still. We want them to come close to the rest of India. To give them exposure we are giving those fairs and exhibitions as a platform so that they can come in lime-light and get exposed to the global market," Mrs Veena Sreeram Rao, Secretary, Development of North-east Region.

Mr. Dhiraj Thakuria, Manager, NEHHC said: "We are taking several measures to help the artisans of the region including, reorientation of the designs to suit the present day contemporary requirements without losing the traditional base, product development and widening the marketing opportunities. These steps have given a vision and hope to the craftsmen".

Not only the technology lack hamper the handicraft sector but also there are many hindrances as: artisans are not well informed about the rapid changing fashion world, large number of intermediaries in handloom and handicraft trade, low returns from handloom and handicraft production and their subsistence standard of living might evade the current and future artisans of this profession.