Handicraft exports tripling may create 20 lakh employments
21 Mar '06
3 min read
The Union Minister of State for Commerce, Shri Jairam Ramesh has said the Government would initiate long and short term measures in consultation with the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) for substantially enhancing the productivity and export competitiveness of India's handicrafts.
He said this at an open house discussion and brain storming session with handicraft exporters and entrepreneurs, held at Moradabad yesterday to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by India's handicrafts exports, and to devise a strategy for achieving a quantum jump in employment generation and export of handicrafts. This was part of the Minister's continuing emphasis on the aam admi approach to exports.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ramesh said that the handicrafts sector plays a vital role in the economy and society of India as it provides direct employment to over 60 lakh artisans and crafts persons, belonging mainly to the socially underprivileged and economically weaker sections of society.
It is the second largest employment generator after agriculture, and therefore, a natural focus area for the UPA Government to generate large-scale gainful employment for the masses, he stated, while adding that the Government would proactively pursue the target of tripling Indian handicraft exports to Rs. 39,000 crore (excluding carpets) by 2009-10. This is expected to result in creation of around 20 lakh new jobs, he said.
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