Handicraft exporter Dileep want archaic labour laws to go
01 Jun '06
2 min read
One of the largest manufacturers and exporters of handicraft items, Dileep Trading Corporation was set up in 1989 by Dileep Baid now having six companies under its umbrella.
In 1991, Baid decided to manufacture handicraft items for the international market and chose to produce goods that were not only decorative but were also of utility value.
In the beginning it was challenging to train artisans to produce such goods and had even hired professional designers from abroad, which was all worth it as they finally managed to develop a niche in the market, stated Baid.
In 1993, the company got a million dollar order from Pier 1, which was one of the largest home furnishing stores in the US but was a challenge initially as the company did not have adequate manpower.
However, the company managed to execute the order and soon featured on the radar of other international arena.
As an export-based organization it is linked with around 30 international chain stores and now is also planning to cater to the Indian market.
It had opened its first store in Mumbai in December '05, and is now planning to come up with a chain of stores in India.
The present turnover of Dileep Trading Corporation is around Rs 60 crores and since has invested heavily in equipments for major expansion plans.
However, the biggest problem in the industry is the archaic labour laws according to Baid.
The working hours in India are only 8 hours whereas in China it is around 12 hours and above all lot of time is consumed in maintaining records, stated Baid.
According to Baid, to be competitive globally, labour laws must be flexible and significance has to be given towards higher productivity.
marketing@alchempro.com
