Venue: India Expo Centre & Mart, Delhi-NCR

Show Bulletin IV

14-18 October 2015

Organizer: Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts

Autumn 2015

The near concluding IHGF Delhi Fair continues to garner rave reviews frombuyers and exhibitors as sourcing for Spring Summer 2016and Fall Winter 2016-17 is conducted. 2800 plus exhibitorswith innovative collections confirming to 14 different showsectors rose to the occasion for business with buyers fromover 110 countries. The upsurge in quality buyer trafficcontributed to a significant contribution in buyer attendanceto IHGF. There is positive feedback from both sides as theshow draws to a close and time constraints keep all busy.Exhibitors have demonstrated the extra effort to createunique and outstanding displays to engage and enticebuyers. New product innovations have ascertained morebusiness as many have added to their buyer lists. And asbuyers share, many are leaving with orders and some areon the verge of finalizing. All are being quite illustrative incomplimenting the organizers and exhibitors.

IHGF Delhi Fair couldn’t have asked for more - Happyexhibitors, happier buyers, a very appealing show, greatfacilities, spirited Indian cultural breaks and musicperformances all along the busy days, comfortable stayfor international visitors and this wholesomecomposition with the October festive spirit. Buyers fromover 110 countries have registered during the first four days of the show. Impressive numberscome from USA, UK , Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy, CIS countries, Greece,Hong Kong, Israel, Egypt, Nordic region, Denmark, Middle East includingUAE, African and LAC regions. IHGF has also brought in Indianrepresentatives of foreign buyers. The opening of the fair to retailvolume buying has shown encouraging results, and severaldomestic buyers visited to explore business possibilities.

Insightful seminars and informative presentations through the courseof all four days saw good number of attendees gathering informationon Social Media, doing business with buyers from USA, Retail Exports,export opportunity in Latin America through warehousing facility atUruguay, safeguard business from international frauds, etc.

World’s largestcomprehensive showmeets exemplaryBuyer Patronage

Forms for participation in IHGF

Spring 2016 are available with

Hall Managers. Interested exporters

may contact them.

Our Guestsat IHGF Delhi Fair Autumn 2015

Some of our guests at IHGF Delhi Fair were, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Panda, Secretary,Textiles; Mrs. Rita A Teaotia, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; Mr. Vinod Ajmera,Commissioner (Industries), Govt. of Rajasthan; Mr.Brijesh Pandey, Deputy Secretary,PMO; Mr. Alok Kumar, DC(Handicrafts); Mr. Navraj Goel, Addl. DC(Handicrafts);Mrs. Sunaina Tomar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; Mr. Kewal Kumar Sharma,Chief Secretary, Govt. of Delhi; Ms. Carol Mortan, New Zealand’s HighCommissioner’s wife; and Ms. Janne Cunliffe, Trade Commissioner, New ZealandTrade and Enterprise; and Mr. Animesh Chauhan, MD, Oriental Bank of Commerce.

Over 2800 exhibitors, artisans anddesigners share trade platformwith buyers from 110 countriesBrimming with innovation, freshness and positive energy, exhibitors seemto have taken responsibility to report a successful show. In continuation toour analysis of exhibitors since the past four days, we bring you more tidingsfrom the exhibitors' side.

A furniture maker from Jodhpur on his second participation at the fair callshis furniture, unique and contemporary. He is overwhelmed with the kind ofappreciation that buyers have shown towards his products and is grateful toEPCH for giving him the opportunity to showcase his products. He deals inindustrial furniture and upholstery. He moved to the leather sector becauseof the shifting market trends. He is also open to customization. He hasreceived a few visiting buyers from South America who were intrigued byhis iron and leather products. His butterfly chair has been delighting buyersfrom Germany. It has an iron frame with goat leather. His wooden winestorage container has made heads turn.

An exhibitor from Jodhpur, a specialist in stainless steel furniture andhandicrafts got in beautiful coffee tables, made using either reclaimed orold wood. Along with this, he got cabinets and barrel shaped tables instainless steel. Majorly catering to UK, USA and Europe, he was very pleasedwith the reaction that he got this time. Another Jodhpur based exporter offurniture and home textiles had on display, several small furniture in iron,reclaimed and old wood. They started with denim furniture some years backand this time also got home textiles like cushions and mats. They use thebest part of used denims that have a long life and are easy to use and handle.Another from Jodhpur, a regular exhibitor has showcased furniture, giftarticles and handcrafted wooden articles. They use wood, MDF (artificialwood) and metals like brass or white metal. Their products have a finequality and their furnishing reflects minute artwork and details. Their buyerbase is spread across US, Europe and South America. Their representativeinforms that it is the fine wood quality that attracts many buyers who chooseto go for theit furniture items like table and chair.

Several cotton canvas poufs, pillows, chairs, camera bags, totes, photo framesand home textiles are part of a collective exhibit by a Jodhpur based exporter.They are one of those few who manufacture their range completely fromrecycled canvas collected from military sources. They spend a lot of effortand time in making the recycled fabric usable and completely non-harmfulfor the end-users. They have done a decent business in this edition. Amongthe new products is their printed range of canvas cushions, lounge poufs,ottomans, etc.

A Delhi based houseware and home decor manufacturer with hismanufacturing base in Uttar Pradesh has displayed beaded placemats, beadedposters, beaded hangings and candle light holders. These cottage industryproducts are exported to Europe, US and Japan. They believe that IHGF is anopportunity to have a better interaction with the overseas buyers whoappreciate the effort and the quality of their work.

A home decorexclusive exhibitorfrom Moradabad hasa neat display offestive lighting,setting his whole stallaglow. The specialtyof their products isthat they arealuminium and brasswire hand craftedlamps. Among theirbuyer countries areUSA, Australia,Denmark and Norway.Having been a regularexhibitor, he can easilytrack the growth andimprovement of thefair. Describing IHGFas a good platform forbusiness, he adds thathe strives to bring innew and innovativedesigns to utilize thisplatform andopportunity. He hasalready signed 200order contracts and ismore hopeful formore.

A two siblingsowned company manufacturing various types of cushions and lamps havedisplayed an attractive range. They prefer using iron for the lamps andcotton/cotton linen for the cushions. For the, IHGF is a good platform tomeet different kind of customers. They are also willing to work in thedomestic market. Their work is imported by twenty four countries. Theyattend fairs in Japan, Germany and Hongkong for business and style updates.

A table tops exclusive participant with a wide variety in tabletops, barwareand flatware made from steel and brass shared that they have an existingbuyer base in Hongkong, Chicago, South Africa, Frankfurt and China. Increasein number of stalls has also increased the completion for them.

An exhibitor had put together their company’s multi divisions all throughthe fair. With a product base in wood, metals and ceramics, they offer

Rakesh KumarChairman, IEML andExecutive Director,EPCH

This show hasindeed been alandmark event.The sheer size ofthe fair and theexpanse of thevenue, given thenewly added sixpermanent halls atIndia Expo Centre& Mart, havemade it possible

and pleasurable to house well over2800 exhibitors. The buyers enthusiasmseeing scale of the show, encourages usimmensely, as we are sure theirexperience would carry the good word along way.

It is also very encouraging to see thegrowing stream of domestic volumebuyers, the connoisseurs of good living -including celebrities and expatriates,visiting our show in growing numbers.They have found a resource for worldclass products, which they wouldotherwise be shopping for in highstreets of global cities.

Experience would carrythe good word a long way

kitchen accessories, furniture hardware, home decor as well as fashionaccessories. They are seen busy throughout.

A Saharanpur based woodcraft specialist manufacturer shares their passionfor mirrors frames, “mirrors are usually bought from other suppliers and thewood carvings are done in proper Saharanpur style.” While this companyfocuses on mirror items, their other branch deals in room partitions androom dividers. Their buyers are from USA, Europe and UK.

With an objective to promote eco-friendly home accessories, an exhibitorhas got a collection of chopping boards, boxes and framed mirrors. There isa bark range and an antique, reclaimed range too. This is their maidenparticipation at the fair and the response has been fairly encouraging. Theyhave their workshop in Meerut that employs more than 250 people. This istheir first interaction with overseas buyers and they are learning the tricks ofthe trade hands on, says their representative adding that they’ve been visitedby buyers from Japan, Australia and USA. The buyer from Australia hasordered wooden pebbles and the Japanese were intrigued by their woodmosaic range which has also been a hit with other buyers. Their Indianclientele has liked wall panels and wall décor items.

Nature inspires and offers raw materials to a manufacturer of furniturewhose product lines include stones like agate, malachite, lapis lazuli andamethist.They also make marble inlay table tops, medallions and semi-precious stone slabs. They have an interesting collection in side-tables, smallpieces of furniture and mirrors(decorated with marble borders).

Manufacturers and exporters of intricately designed glass hardware productsfrom Firozabad have brought in an abundant selection in flower vases,glass lamps, glass lanterns, etc. in designs that are in accordance with thelatest trends and embellished with minutest detailing as a value addition.They also have assorted lanterns and candle holders with bright colouredglass. Another lamp exporter from Moradabad, who had been participatingin the show since its initial editions, has on display, beautiful ceiling, walland floor lamps as well as candle holders in shades of black, copper, silverand gold. They received a decent response this year with majority of buyersliking their lamp collection. They use iron, steel, brass, glass and crystal inmanufacturing their range. They design their products to match the taste ofEuropean buyers, since their clientele base is majorly from Europe.

A Jaipur based exporter has on display, very beautiful Rajasthani work doneon home textiles and select fashion accessories. They engage artisans fromRajasthan's Barmer village and through this initiative promote the regionamong international buyers, as well as offer employment to a large numberof people. A home textiles and apparel exhibitor from Rajasthan sitting in avibrant stall said the response has always been good for them. Their regularclientele sources bed covers, cushions, textile bags with leather straps andtextile toys, every season. While the toys are liked by Japanese, the jacketsare usually favoured by European buyers. They have a workshop in Jaipurmanned by 30-35 people. Another exporter of home textiles from Rajasthanhas ‘all-cotton’ bags, bedsheets, cushion covers, etc. beautified withembroidery and hand printing. Their products are popular in USA, Germany,France, Brazil and UK.What seperates this fair from others is that here, IHGFis more organized and only genuinely interested buyers come by, he says.

Another home textiles specialist from Jaipur, stationed in a stall with hometextiles like table cloths, cushions, bedspreads, stoles, scarves, etc. allembellished with block painting, informed of large scale orders they getfrom buyers and clients based in Europe, USA, Japan, Korea and Brazil. Thebest thing about IHGF according to him is that, it acts as a place where notonly buying-selling takes place but also ideas are exchanged. This enablesexporters like him to receive first-hand knowledge of latest trends andfashion. He wishes that the number of days in the February IHGF are extended

as that is a strategically crucial period for exporters to get inputs from allsources for the winter holiday season ahead.

A good range of light stone, glass beaded and leather jewellery as well asfashion accessories are offered by a Delhi based exporter who designs hisproducts with the help of his in-house designers. He has clients across US,Europe and Australia. At IHGF, he is quite happy to see how exhibitors havedone their best to present a good and attractive display.

Exporting for more than two decades, a Faridabad based manufacturer ofbrass and aluminum décor and small furnishing products is happy to havebrought in "just the right range" for his American buyers. His range includesdoor knobs, door handles, bells, wall decor, lightings, picture frames, ivoryfinishing lamps and antique touch products, among other knick knacks. Hereceived a "delighting response" from his regular as well as new buyers.

An exporter of lanterns, lightings, décor and utility products from UttarPradesh has put up a complete new range of home textiles, glass lanterns,screen printed cushions and table mats, kitchen utilities and accessories,keeping in mind tastes of domestic buyers. They have reported a goodresponse, both from overseas buyers as well as domestic retailers. Mainlycatering to USA, their products are designed by an in-house team. As apractice, their regular buyers visit them at IHGF and place good orders. Intheir efforts to provide buyers with a new range at every edition, they studytrends and to treat buyers looking for sustainable products, their hometextile segment this time is mainly made fusing jute and cotton.

A Delhi based manufacturer of table top products like photo frames, jars,chess boards and utility boxes using bone, horn and mdf wood has reporteda good response. Among new line of products, they had different horn andbone utility boxes with intricate hand-painted work on them. At every editionthey strived to present different products under the same line and using thesame material.

Illuminations galore in lamps and lighting with hand carved(naqqashi) adornthe stall of a Jodhpur based regular IHGF patron. Designed by his daughterswho are students of professional design, these are iron garden lamps andfestive candle containers, tea light holders, etc. in antique finish. They havebeen visited by buyers from all over the world besides their regular clientele.They share their plans of focusing more on the domestic market as they seea lot of potential here. For this they are also open to retailing and have comein ready with at least 300 stock products; delivering within 72 hours ofordering. The designer duo sisters are taking over the design department ofthis manufacturer, infusing fresh ideas and enthusiasm, incorporating newtechnology and adding creativity into the implementation of ideas. Bothare working towards creating an in-house designing and sampling team byputting their formal training to good use at this three generations old familybusiness.

A home furniture and decorativesexporter from Jodhpur has a colourfulrange in furniture that almostannounces the arrival of spring.Eleven years into this trade, they makefine quality tables, chairs, lamps andother home utility products usingdifferent wood such as mango,acasia, sesame, etc. Their business isspread over 42 countries and hecredits their amazing success to EPCHand IHGF-that he calls an “industrialcatalyst” for many exporters like him.The expansion of exhibitors’ display

Made in China garden products brought infrom Yiwu China at IHGF Delhi Fair-Autumn2015. The stall has artificial flowers,gardening tools and swords made ofStyrofoam and leather.

R K VermaDirector, EPCH

Many newexhibitors andmany new buyersare the two bigwinners for me.New exhibitorsbring in newnessand freshness toour product line-up, while new

buyers bring in new opportunities andnew vistas for growth. Our clusterpromotion programs have beensuccessful and through directparticipation artisans have benefitedboth in terms of business opportunityand exposure to international clientele.

For easy buyer recall, we would now callboth the spring and autumn shows asIHGF Delhi Fair - Spring and Autumnrespectively. While we get ready to signoff this landmark edition on a new high,I take the opportunity to invite eachone back here for the IHGF Delhi SpringFair, to be held from 20-23 February2016. (Forms for the same are alsoavailable with all Hall Managers.)

New Exhibitors and NewBuyers - more productsand more opportunities

area and endeavor to create this mega-show of afair is welcomed by this exporter who feels moreexposure to international markets and designdevelopment for continuous innovation will takeIndian products towards a more wider reach.

Among participants is a French Indian duo fromJodhpur that specialise in products using old,discarded materials reclaimed from architectsand designers. With a wooden base, they producefurniture and décor products in the 1970s vintagefashion, wihich they export to 20 different

countries, including Japan, Australia, Korea, andSpain. This is their 10th participation and theyhave already received orders from Russian andGreek buyers.

Among its many new attributes, IHGF Delhi Fair,starting with the previous edition, has opened itsdoors to domestic volume retail buyers, interiordesigners and architects. In response, manyexporters are seen welcoming this trend andexploring this new business model.

Export opportunity in Latin America throughwarehousing facility at UruguayHaving a warehouse of one's own in any exporting destination has veryhigh relevance from the point view of exporters. This relevance becomeshigher when the destination is emerging. The session offered anopportunity to understand how a warehouse facility in Uruguay will helpthe Indian handicrafts exporter to enhance their export to whole LatinAmerican market.

Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Chairman, IEML and Executive Director, EPCH,introducing the attendees to the topic of the seminar, said that there aretremendous opportunities in the Latin American Region and awarehousing option can further facilitate doingbusiness in that region. The seminar wasmoderated by Mr. R Viswanathan, FormerAmbassador to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.He informed that while Indian handicraft exportsmake up 4% of the total exports to LatinAmerican countries, this share can be taken toalmost 500 million dollars by 2020. Indianculture is respected in Latin America and Indianhandicrafts are treated as cultural and not justcommercial products. While illustrating therelation between Indian diplomacy andhandicrafts, he mentioned how in eachdelegation, handicrafts are presented as gifts tothe diplomats, which in turn, are shown andappreciated in front of media, thus, boostingtourism. This is his third visit to IHGF and he feels,"it is the biggest show of handicrafts in thisworld, setting an example for other exportpromotion councils". Latin America is a large andgrowing market with a population of 550 millionpeople and the GDP of the area comes to almost6 trillion dollars. Referring to the last financialyear, he shared, India had 12 billion $ trade withVenezuela and Brazil, which is more than SriLanka, Bangladesh, and France; 12 billion $ trade was with Mexico, that ismore than with Russia and Australia; trade worth 66 million $ was withChile, which is more than East European exports; and Bajaj of India hasbested the Chinese price and the Japanese brand, and has become theleading market brand in Columbia. Mexico's imports are tilting towardsthe Indian market, so as to reduce their dependence of trade on China. So,

EPCH planned several insightful seminars and informative presentations through the course of all five days of IHGF Delhi Fair 2015.On 14th October and 15th October, seminars on Advantage of Doing Business in & with Yiwu, China; Social Media - Importanttool to Maximize Presence & Sales; Increase in Exports through Effective Use of Digital Medium; How to do Business withBuyers from USA; and Retail Export –Flourishing wave of internet-enabled trade by eBay India were conducted. 16thOctober featured seminars on Export opportunity in Latin America through warehousing facility at Uruguay; How toSafeguard Your Business from International Frauds; VRIKSH - Indian Timber Legality Assessment and Verification Scheme;and Retail Export –Flourishing wave of internet-enabled trade. 17th October had seminars on The Retail Evolution - Opportunityfor Handicrafts Sector; and Opportunities and Export Strategies for Handicraft Products in Commonwealth of IndependentStates (CIS) Market. For 18th, seminars on Retail Export –Flourishing wave of internet-enabled trade Trends & Forecast on Home, Lifestyle & Fashion forSpring Summer 2016; and Skill Development in Handicrafts & Carpet Sector - Need of the Hour, are lined up.

it's the perfect timing for trade in Latin America, urged Mr.Vishwanathan and stated that 20 countries in Latin America have a GDPof 6 trillion USD. But as per recent reports, Latin America has not beingdoing too well- an economic contraction of -0.3 %. Though it is seen asa manageable crisis, they remain hopeful of withstanding it and growonce again.

Mr. Walter Campo Director, Port Trade Center, Uruguay, in hispresentation highlighted the fact that India's festivities andcraftsmanship are popular and have a receptive market all over theworld, with European Union in particular. The export consignments canbe sent through the Brazilian free tax zone. There has been a signing ofMOU recently between the EPCH and the Port Trade Center, with theMinister of Foreign Affairs being a witness to the whole event. He thenlisted the benefits of establishing business in Latin America, as a duty-free wholesale market, with an immediate distribution arrangementwith 40+ offices. With an objective to promote the Port TradeCenter(PTC) in South America and answer related queries, Mr. Camposaid that it's a huge untapped market for Indian exports and the tradecenter is being regulated by free port laws worldwide. With PTC havingan offline wholesale business in hand, goods that reach there forbusiness are bound to be promoted throughout Latin America and thatPTC will be providing awareness on the approach to the market. Therewill also be compensation for the extra management. So, the exporteronly needs to focus on the quantity that he wants to sell. Mr. Campoalso touched upon Uruguay that is poised as a direct hub and connectsto main commerce centers. With no pre-registration necessary, it ispresented to have Grupo Ras as a premier logistics partner. Since thelatter is already the topmost e-commerce leader in Brazil, there is alwaysscope for online selling through a B2S network. Another such e-commerce partner is Mercado Libre, which is supposedly the Number 1in almost every country in the continent. With 80% of new approaches,and 20% of the finest price listings, the trade would be backed by strongchannels, and as such PTC will help exporters make a well-informedeconomic strategy. With focus being on Mexico and Brazil for themoment, PTC can ensure a simple way to do business by giving out oneinvoice to each customer, and with a huge number of suppliersavailable; the exporter will continue to be the owner of the goods.Besides, the goods would be exempted from tariff taxes. It would bealmost as if one owns his own warehouse in Uruguay. The distributionof goods can be changed, and as such, he aims for a multi-facetedhandicraft market in Uruguay. Mentioning of cost references, Mr. Campoinformed, PTC would invest all the money acquired in implementing amarketing action with the Americans, for market expansion.

Seminars & Presentations

Mr. R Viswanathan,Former Ambassadorto Argentina, Uruguayand Paraguay

Mr. Walter CampoDirector,Port TradeCenter, Uruguay

LekhrajMaheshwariImmediate PastChairman, EPCH

IHGF Delhi Fair has allowed room forall leading manufacturers & exportersas well as the small entrepreneurs andartisans. This has given the buyer theopportunity to see the broad range ofour products and a chance toappreciate the craftsmanship, especiallywhere craftsmanship is demonstratedlive. The live classical and folk danceperformances have also added a newdimension, giving the buyers a deeperinsight into Indian art and culture.

A Fair with new dimensionsHow to Safeguard Your Business fromInternational FraudsMunindra Pal Singh, Sr. Consultant on Export Documentation conductedthis seminar. Different types of fraud include confidence tricks, lotteryfraud and advance-fee fraud as well as insurance fraud, tax avoidance,offshore investment scams, marriage fraud, pyramid schemes andpayment card fraud. These crimes often have an international dimensionand are committed through a variety of media, for instance by theInternet, telephone, fax and post.Sophisticated social engineeringtechniques are carried out on the Internet to trick people into revealingpersonal data, banking details and passwords. This session providedvaluable information to exporters to safe themselves from these kind offrauds. He listed the different kinds of frauds happening online, andshowed solutions on how to save oneself from such scams, withinteresting examples like the Bhagwan Singh ship-sinking scam, wherehis vessel resurfaced (initially named Katrina )after every reported sinking and supposeddeaths of his employees, and amounted to abank fraud of 30, 000 crore rupees.

He explained in detail about the LC or Letter ofCredit and how banks carry out paymentliabilities, and as such on both ends, peoplebelieve LC to be credible in international trade.For precautionary measures, one ought to tenderhis documents in conformity to credit, as it is thebank’s responsibility to make the payment. TheLC was never mandated before. But it wasbecause of the banks’ tendency to freethemselves of liabilities that the sellers had toformulate this. He detailed on the necessity of anLC and that it is based on two doctrinalprinciples - Doctrine of strict compliance- one need not worry about thepayment, if one has taken all necessary precautions; and Doctrine ofautonomy. He gave an example of Germans who never start productionwithout the documents and paper work. “Never ever trust or consignthe goods to the buyer, a bitter experience leads on to a caution that onehas to maintain,” he added.

Mr. Singh then spoke about all 24 documents required for aninternational trade and that only the Document of Title is required foraccessing the goods. With a slight sign of ‘document(s)’, it is indicativeof the fact that the buyer can take all of your goods without payment ifyou consign the goods to him. Because fraudulent activities areinherently part of the trade, the scammer might try to win your trustwith some advance payment, and leading you to believe it’s a verifiedchannel, and so he will ask you to consign the goods over, so that he‘would’ pay once he receives the goods, he explained and explained theconcepts of C-documents and C-dispatches, before actually explainingwhat the trade terms of full-set, clean and onboard really meant. “Youhave to be aware of the fact that 14 nations in the world don’t stick tothe normative regulation rules, and FOC vessels are usually subs-standard vessels, so invest a bit more in transport and never consign thegoods to the buyer even in an LC. Insist on an inspection certificate onthe goods, so it becomes more trustworthy to the buyer,” he concluded.

VRIKSH - Indian Timber Legality Assessmentand Verification SchemeMr. Manu Jose Mattam, Director, Natural Resources Programs Division,Scientific Certification Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd. presented an overview ofthe wooden handicrafts sector and showed how it is connected toVRIKSH as well as importance of legal sourcing of timber. He made apresentation on the EPCH "VRIKSH" timber legality assessment andverification standard, jointly developed by Scientific CertificationSystems (India) Pvt. Ltd. and EPCH, that aims not only at tracking"VRIKSH" timber products but can also be used to track timber productsverified by other legal origin standards, under mutual recognition. It is aone stop solution for the timber legality certification and is especiallydeveloped for handicrafts. It effectively tackles the demand side

challenges like different requirements,multiple languages, multiple authorities andthat's what makes it necessary. The VRIKSHstandard has a strong legal backing with theinvolvement of the Government of India'sMinistries. It is compliant to ISO-IEC guide59:1994. The governing council of VRIKSHhas 11 members involving the Governmentof India and various industry stakeholders.There's also a technical committee and acommittee for stakeholder consultation. Thepilot testing for this standard has been doneon 10 partners and their suggestions arealready incorporated in the standard. VRIKSHhas many components including qualitymanagement systems, legal compliances andraw material tracking. Its salient featuresinclude its special design which is specificallydeveloped for handicrafts in partnership with

EPCH and that it provides a complete chain of solutions. It has completetraceability and manages legal verification of all sources. As of nowVRIKSH certification has been awarded to 25 manufacturers and 50others have already been audited.

The EPCH "VRIKSH" timber legality assessment and verification standardaims attracking "VRIKSH" timber products but can also are used to tracktimber products verified by other legal origin standards, under mutualrecognition. The transformation of timber from the standing tree toafinal product will often involve several types of organizations who takelegal ownership of a product through a supply chain. Each legal ownerwho makes a "VRIKSH" business to business legality claims about theirproduct shall be assessed by EPCH and / or its authorized certificationbody on their conformance to the principles of this standard.

The Retail Evolution - Opportunity forHandicrafts SectorMr. Vikram Chitnis from Shoppers Stop illustrated that the handicraftssector is confined to rural areas, despite the growth of infrastructure.The Indian proposition is to understand the retail barriers, and byadjusting the products to what the customer needs, by considering thenew age ethnic and the trendy youngistan, it can be tweaked in thedisplay criterion, so as to cater to the diversification of the markets.

Munindra Pal Singh,Sr. Consultant onExport Documentation,illustrated on how tosafeguard businessfrom internationalfrauds

Mr. Manu Jose Mattam,Director, NaturalResources ProgramsDivision, ScientificCertification Systems(India) Pvt. Ltd., made apresentation on theEPCH “VRIKSH”certification and its pre-requisites as well asbenefits

Mr. Vikram Chitnis from Shoppers Stop

Ajai ShankarMemorial

Awardsfor best display

and stand designat IHGF Delhi Fair -

Autumn 2015

Fashion Jewellery &Accessories

M/s Elcorp Pvt. Ltd., New DelhiM/s Elcorp Pvt. Ltd., New DelhiM/s Elcorp Pvt. Ltd., New DelhiM/s Elcorp Pvt. Ltd., New DelhiM/s Elcorp Pvt. Ltd., New DelhiStand No. F09/17

Candles, Incense Sticks,Potpuri & Aromatics

M/s Auroma Diffusions Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Auroma Diffusions Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Auroma Diffusions Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Auroma Diffusions Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Auroma Diffusions Pvt. Ltd.,BangaloreBangaloreBangaloreBangaloreBangalore

Stand No. F13/14

Stationery and HandmadePaper

M/s Ascetic Export, JaipurM/s Ascetic Export, JaipurM/s Ascetic Export, JaipurM/s Ascetic Export, JaipurM/s Ascetic Export, JaipurStand No. F13/23

Festive DécorM/s Ramesh Flowers Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Ramesh Flowers Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Ramesh Flowers Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Ramesh Flowers Pvt. Ltd.,M/s Ramesh Flowers Pvt. Ltd.,

TTTTTuticorinuticorinuticorinuticorinuticorinStand No. F14/18

Furniture & AccessoriesM/s Balaji Exports, JaipurM/s Balaji Exports, JaipurM/s Balaji Exports, JaipurM/s Balaji Exports, JaipurM/s Balaji Exports, Jaipur

Stand No. H04/34

Home Furnishings andMadeups

M/s C&R TM/s C&R TM/s C&R TM/s C&R TM/s C&R Textiles Pvt. Ltd., Noidaextiles Pvt. Ltd., Noidaextiles Pvt. Ltd., Noidaextiles Pvt. Ltd., Noidaextiles Pvt. Ltd., NoidaStand No. E08/07

Lamp Lighting andAccessories

M/s Ravi Indian Handicrafts,M/s Ravi Indian Handicrafts,M/s Ravi Indian Handicrafts,M/s Ravi Indian Handicrafts,M/s Ravi Indian Handicrafts,MoradabadMoradabadMoradabadMoradabadMoradabad

Stand No. E15/07

Houseware & DecorativeM/s Adhya Designs, FaridabadM/s Adhya Designs, FaridabadM/s Adhya Designs, FaridabadM/s Adhya Designs, FaridabadM/s Adhya Designs, Faridabad

Stand No. G02/19

Lawn, Garden Ornament &Accessories

M/s Noble Art Exports, JodhpurM/s Noble Art Exports, JodhpurM/s Noble Art Exports, JodhpurM/s Noble Art Exports, JodhpurM/s Noble Art Exports, JodhpurStand No. H01/01

Carpets, Rugs & FlooringsM/s Pala Décor Pvt. Ltd.M/s Pala Décor Pvt. Ltd.M/s Pala Décor Pvt. Ltd.M/s Pala Décor Pvt. Ltd.M/s Pala Décor Pvt. Ltd.

Stand No. E02/01

Opportunities and Export Strategies for Handicraft Products inCommonwealth of Independent States (CIS) MarketIndian handicrafts exporters have been exporting their products to various markets like EU, USA,LAC and CIS etc. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has rapidly evolved into a strategicmarket for India. The confluence of several macroeconomic trends are boosting these emergingmarkets, resulting in noteworthy expansion in major parts of this region. There is a huge potentialin the market and a scope for growth which still needs to be harnessed. This session was anattempt to help exporters to witness the opportunities fostered by the CIS region.

Dr. Tamanna Chaturvedi, eminent faculty, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, made an elaboratepresentation on the need for exporters to understand the markets they are planning to sell to.Along with the understanding of the market, an ability to adapt product to the specific market canalso give exporters an edge in business. It has been observed that around 2/3rd of the total exportsof handicrafts to the world are exported to these traditional markets and only 1/3rd to the rest ofthe world. The sector has moreover, witnessed cascading effects of economic recession in thesedeveloped markets in the form of demand stagnation and saturation under the shadow of theglobal recession. It is high time to look forward to the concept of diversification of trade partnersand methods to access and penetrate new emerging markets in addition to the traditional ones.

Dr. Tamanna Chaturvedi emphasized upon the methodological way of connecting the right way ofpresenting products, which the Indian handicraft lacks because of lack of proper packaging, to theright markets. This can be focused on the CIS markets, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan andArmenia, rather than just USA and Europe.One ought to learn the purchasing power of eachmarket, with religion ethnicity, gap analysis in markets.

Latin America & Caribbean region is evolving into a strategic marketplace. The convergence ofseveral macroeconomic trends is boosting this group of emerging markets, resulting innoteworthy expansion throughout much of the region. In particular, Latin America's majoreconomies are seeking new ways to accelerate growth. With a growing youthful population and arising middle class, the LAC markets may be poised for significant growth in the years ahead. Richin natural resources, they are benefiting from a surging demand for commodities that has helpedto drive strong GDP growth.and their respective non-tariff rates.

Dr. Tamanna Chaturvedi, Assistant Professor, IIFT, New Delhi seen interacting with the participants

Cultural Breaks

Mega Cluster Promotion in FocusWith an objective to encouragecraftpersons and participants from MegaClusters of Jodhpur and Narsapur as wellas Lucknow, Bareilley, J&K and Bhuj,Secretary, Textiles, Dr. S K Panda;DC(Handicrafts), Mr. Alok Kumar; andAddl. DC(Handicrafts), Mr. Navraj Goel ledan interactive session with them. FromEPCH’s side there were Mr. Rakesh Kumar,Executive Director, EPCH and Director,Mega Cluster Mission; immediate pastChairman, EPCH, Mr. Lekhraj Maheshwari;Mr. Rajesh Kumar Jain, Vice Chairman,EPCH; Regional Convenors, EPCH -Mr. O P Prahladka(East) and Mr. K LRamesh(South); Mr. Ravi K Passi,Co-Chairman, NCDPD; and Mr. R KSrivastav, Executive Director, NCDPD. Theinteraction and Q&A lifted the confidenceof the attendees for ably dealing withoverseas buyers.

Perceptions, Observations,Purchases and Future Planning....

VISITING BUYERS ON IHGF DELHI FAIR

Prime Interest: Wood and Glassware

I’ve been attending the fair since two years now

and am happy with the

fair and the products

available here. The

quality here is quite

good and I have already

placed orders. I feel

happy with the business

and the choice of wood

and glass furniture I have picked from here. I visit

to meet my regular Jodhpur suppliers and am

quite comfortable doing business with them.

Indian products have a good market despite the

global recession and I feel the economy will

bounce back in another two years. I also source

regularly from Thailand and I like some of the

cheap products available in China, especially

when it comes to furniture as they have a huge

market in West African countries.

Sahni, Poland

Prime Interest: Scarves, Belts & Bags

I have a company called Harmony Culture

that deals with

scarves, belts and

bags. I prefer Indian

handicrafts as they

easily attract my

customers. I also

feel Indian art very

appealing. Overseas

markets find Indian craft very unique. My

wholesale business is spread across entire

Europe. I’ve been attending this fair for past

five years and can clearly observe the

growing vastness of the fair. The addition of

Home Décor section has increased the

variety in the fair.

Fermin Rodriguez, Spain

Prime Interest: Home Furnishing

I am an interior designer from China and

also have an online

store that deals

with home

furnishing items.

My business is

based in Korea and

I will soon expand

it to China. I have

visited this fair for the first time and am

quite impressed by the craftsmanship. I’ve

frequented fairs in China and Paris. I believe

that India has lot of talented designers and

good factories. I have already placed orders

for linen with block prints and few of the

marble products. The quality and variety in

the fair have certainly made me hopeful for

making more good business deals.

Teo Yang, China

Prime Interest: Furniture & Decoratives

I am with a team of

colleagues,

representatives of

Amy’s, a company

which deals in

hotels, furniture and

design companies.

This is our second visit to IHGF. We are looking for

furniture, decorative items, lamps and pillows for

our market. Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and

China are other places we source from We found

good designs with potential to be even better.

For that manufacturers must hire design experts

as well as technology to perfect the finishing. As

far as Taiwan’s market is concerned, there has

been a marked rise in imports for these products

vis-à-vis other countries. We are delighted with

EPCH’s services such as food, transport and

accommodation which are not provided in most

other fairs. Tony Lin, Taiwan

Prime Interest: Home Decor

I own Massivmobel24, a company based in

Denmark. I absolutely

love India. This is the

fifteenth IHGF I am

visiting. I love doing

business with India. I

buy only from India. I

am here to shop

furniture and home

décor items. These items produced by Indian

artisans and manufacturers are hugely popular in

Denmark. These are of good quality and the

prices are not exorbitantly high thus giving a

good value for money. The organizers have put

up a dazzling show and it gets better and better

with each edition.

Patrick Schneider, Denmark

Prime Interest: Textile Products

This is our first visit to the fair. We

own a shop called Lajtha and are

here to source textile products.

IHGF has such a sprawling and

gigantic spread out. We are

really fascinated with the

textiles, pouches and bags we

see here. We are yet to finalize orders as we are still meeting

suppliers. There are so many of them! We are looking forward

to visiting IHGF in Spring. Tomomi Morita, Japan

Prime Interest: Lighting, Tabletop

Products and Furniture

This is being my first

visit to the fair and I am

here for mainly

lighting, tabletop

products and furniture.

My company - Light

and Living, has already

established centers in

Europe since three years now. I am very

enthusiastic about the sprawling venue,

numerous stalls and a variety of goods at hand. I

estimate shipping of at least 15-20 containers of

products sourced through this fair and hope to

be back again by this spring. Lisa, USA

Prime Interest: Clothing & Crafts

I am here to source clothing and handicrafts. We also

import from Thailand and Indonesia. We haven’t done

a lot of business so far because we are still looking,

though we are already talking to our regular suppliers.

We observe that back in USA, there is a slackening of

interest towards Indian products and therefore the

market for Indian handicrafts is quite static back there.

We like the organization of the fair but feel November would be cooler and a

better time to organize it. Accommodation closer to the Expo Mart will increase

and consolidate the buyer base. Anu Bhatia, USA

Prime Interest: Fashion Jewellery and

Accessories

I have a fashion

company with an

Indian name called

Bangles of Bombay.

The name is

suggestive of the fact

that we deal in Indian

jewellery, scarves and

bangles. Having been a visitor to IHGF for past

four years, I feel the familiarity when I visit, right

from the bright lobby area. I prefer to deal with

businessmen who have their offices in Delhi as

I often visit Delhi. I am very happy with the

facilities and the organization. My company

attracts many American buyers and it is the

Indian craft and quality which does the main

work. Few business deals have already been

signed and therefore I plans to head back

home. Kelsey Hutchins, USA

Prime Interest: Home Decor

Home Harmony

is our retail store

in Turkey,

dealing in home

décor products.

This is our first

visit and we are

impressed by the quality, artwork and

organization of this show. The facilities at the

fair are very buyer friendly, making our work

more easy and quick. We are quite particular

about the design and material of lamps. We

are still making enquiries and hope to sign

contracts soon. Ozcan Agaoglu and Qzge

Agaoglu, Turkey

Prime Interest: Costume Jewellery

I have a home textiles business in Israel by the

name, Badim. We deal

in costume jewellery

and scarves. I am a

regular visitor to IHGF

since five years now

but still I am quite

impressed by the new

infrastructure and the

organization of sectors. Increase in number. of

inquiry desks has made the navigation a lot

easier and quicker. I am looking particularly for

handmade products, wooden crafts, cushions,

embroidery work and block print products. I

wish to complete my work today. Indian

products are quite in demand in Israel.

Customers like the beauty of the craft and the

precision of the work done. I also seek various

natural products. Guy Shani, Israel

Prime Interest: Home Products

I am the president of Indigo Décor based in

Poland with other

branches across the

globe. I am a 12 years

regular at IHGF and am

here for fine quality

furniture, home décor

and textiles. In Poland

these product lines are

booming now. Other countries from where I

import are China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam

and Indonesia. Improvement in quality and

innovations are reasons why Indian market is

doing well in Poland. Another edge India has

over big markets is that, sellers are flexible in

terms of order quantity. This minimizes the risk

involved for the buyers. In terms of pricing,

Indian products range from affordable ones to

premium. Harish Lalwani, Poland

Prime Interest: Fashion Accessories

I am the owner of 4Queens which deals

mainly in fashion

accessories and

jewellery. I am a

veteran at IHGF

with my first visit

stretching back to

mid 1990s. Over

the years I have

made contacts with suppliers and share a

good rhythm with them. Other than India, I

buy from other Asian nations only. Inspite of

slow economy in my home country, there is

a steady demand for my kind of products

which is because quality products always

have a market. Buyers back home want

nickel, cadmium and lead free products

which many in India are not able to

guarantee, perhaps due to lacking

technological know-how. But these should

improve soon.

Roula Karyotou, Greece

Prime Interest: Gift Items

I represent Boltze, a German company. Gift

items are my interest

and I am hoping to

finalize on some really

good ones. It’s been

10 years of association

with IHGF and I have

made reliable

suppliers in this course

of time so I am rarely disappointed. There is

always scope for improvement, though. The

aesthetic appeal of Indian products lure

customers in Germany but the rawness in

finishing becomes a bit of a hindrance. These

problems need to be addressed. I love the

organizers’ effort to put this ‘mega-show’ of a

fair and expect it to grow bigger and better

next year.

Nils Daube, GermanyPrime Interest:

Antique Reproductions

I am a

wholesaler

from, USA and

my company is

Kelly Reed

Antiques. This

being my first

visit to IHGF, I was unsure of what to expect

but service and accommodation have far

surpassed our expectations. I am impressed

with the range as well as creativity of the

product lines. I came here to source home

décor items and gifts and have already

placed orders. In the past, I used to import

from China also and in comparison, I feel

India is doing fairly well. Prices and quality

are competitive enough.

Montana James , USA

Prime Interest: Wood Furniture

There is a good market

for Indian products

back in Iran and the

market for handicrafts

has only increased in

the last three years.

With the internet,

these products have

become easily available and more popular. I like

the quality of the products wood furniture is

rather expensive here as compared to Thailand

and China. I feel the absence of a buying agent

to help me with calculations and negotiations. I

congratulate EPCH on such a grand fair and

hope to see accommodation facilities near the

Expo Centre in my next visit. Mehdi, Iran

Prime Interest: Leather Bags

I am a small-scale

online business owner,

viz., Artentic.com. This

is my first visit to IHGF.

What piqued my

interest in the stalls is

the detailed variety of

leather bags and

similar products. I appreciate the well-defined

oriental design of the products, as well as the

handmade quality. I feel a small fraction of

displayed products in this category are on a

world-class level. I want to source various

quantities of high quality products.

Jacek Magnuszewski, Poland

Domestic buyers keen to source from exporters

Prime Interest: Home Lighting

He is an exporter from Delhi who has come here

looking for manufacturers for a tie-up. He has had

some success. He has been regular at the Fair. He is

looking for Home Lightings and exports to all over

the world. He says most exhibitors here are

exporters themselves so the response has been

lukewarm but he is hopeful to strike a few tie ups.

He points out that designers need to move

beyond regional preferences as products from one area tend to always be

similar. The quality of the products is quite good though, he adds.

Deepak Sharan

Prime Interest: Antique Look Products

This is our first visit to IHGF. We heard of the

fair through friends and came here through

word of mouth publicity. We are here for

antiques, chandeliers and other such

artifacts. We are quite excited with the kind

of deals that we have been able to break

through and compliment the exhibitors on

the good quality of products that they have availed to buyers. We also

source from China. We feel exhibitors are not keen to sell to domestic

buyers as they have done their cost calculations in dollars. Junaid and

Mansoor, Art House, Mumbai

Prime Interest: Home Decor

Vandana has been in the

home decor business for

the past ten years and has

been to the Fair three

times now. She exports to

all parts of the world but

majorly to the US. She

hasn’t been able to cut

through any satisfactory deals yet as exhibitors are

not willing to cooperate with domestic buyers. She

would also like to see some innovation because the

raw material available in the country is simply

fantastic. Vandana, Delhi

Prime Interest: Handicrafts & Gifts

I have attended IHGF before in the capacity of a buying agent am

here as a domestic retail volume buyer. I have experienced a 200%

growth in the last two years within India itself so I decided to stick to

this home market. I am interested in gift items and handicrafts and

am quite impressed with the whole gamut of products here. I have

been able to strike only a few deals as exhibitors aren’t too keen on

rupee rates. I feel the Indian market has grown. Online platforms like

Pepperfry and Urban Ladder are doing a good job and the entry of

retail services online have changed the rules of the games. Manufacturing and marketing

have to catch up fast. There is need for exhibitors to innovate. Despite that, India remains the

best place for handicrafts, followed closely by Vietnam. I am happy with the few deals I have

made here and the opportunity to study trends as well. The fair is fabulous and participants

here have products to suit all levels of the market. Aditya Ramani, Jaipur

IHGF Delhi Fair - Autumn 2015 Show Bulletins are brought out on behalf of EPCH by EPB/Chapakhana.com; E-mail: mail@epbureau.com, Tel.: +91 9811311127

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Glimpses -

Busy Days