The IHGF-DELHI FAIR AUTUMN 2016 is being held at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, Expressway in NCR Delhi, from 14 – 18 October, 2016. Executive Director – EPCH, Mr. Rakesh Kumar has informed that the 42^nd edition of India Handicrafts and Gifts Fair will have more than 2,950 exhibitors from all over the Country, exhibiting around 2000 product lines, styles and designs of Home, Lifestyles, Fashion & Textiles products, spread over an area of 1,90,000 sq. metres. He has said that more than 5000 buyers from more than 110 countries, and more than 450 buying agents are participating in the fair, that is being organized by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). The fair is unique as the exhibitors constitute Indian participants only and buyers come from all over the globe to source a wide and varied range of products from India to cater to all segment of consumers in their home countries. 

Mr. Kumar added that the speciality of this fair is that the products on display are all of good quality and high variety.  Buyers can select products for meeting the requirement of high-end, middle-end as well as mass and low-end consumers.  Another unique feature of Indian product range is that they are hand-crafted; machines are used only for finishing purposes.  India continues to enjoy the distinction of exclusivity in terms of product, design, colours and raw material base. Indian products are eco-friendly as most of the raw material used is natural and not chemically made; moreover, the dyes and colours used are also natural vegetable dyes rather than chemical dyes.

Products on display will include gifts and decoratives, furniture, home furnishing, houseware, fashion jewellery & accessories, lamps and lighting, Christmas and festive décor, carpets and rugs, bathroom accessories, garden decoratives, educational toys and games, handmade paper products, leather bags and cases candles, incense & potpourri.  The products are made from a varied raw material base consisting of wood, metal, cane & bamboo, textiles, natural fibers, wool, silk, jute, coir, stones, bone and horn, terracotta and lacquer, etc.

Editors of international publications pertaining to gifts, houseware and decoratives from Australia and UK will also visit the show to see the range and quality of products on display and carry back stories to be published in subsequent issues. 

Apart from overseas buyers, domestic volume retail buyers from many leading retail chains and e-commerce firms have confirmed their participation in IHGF-Delhi Fair Autumn 2016. Representatives of buying houses, buying agents, importers and wholesalers from America and Europe will also be visiting the fair.

One of the highlights of the fair will be setting up of thematic pavilion of products from North Eastern Region. North Eastern Region is one of the richest regions of the country in terms of eco-friendly crafts. Products like bags made out of natural fiber, cane and bamboo, furniture, decoratives, gifts, dry flowers, shawls and hand woven textiles and made-ups are expected to be the attraction to the visitors and the entrepreneurs from this region will be able to secure good business orders. Further, handicrafts of Mega clusters like lace and lace crafts from Narsapur (Andhra Pradesh) and wooden handicrafts from Jodhpur would also be on display at the show.

To upgrade the knowledge of the participating companies, informative seminars at the venue, covering topics such as enhancing exports to US market, cybersecurity, internet as a growth driver. A Round Table Conference of eminent speakers from retail and e-commerce on 360° marketing – home and beyond will also be held during the show.

IHGF-DELHI FAIR has already acquired the reputation of being a one-stop sourcing platform amongst the overseas buying community and a very effective marketing medium amongst the Indian exporting community.  Over a period of 22 years, since its inception in 1994, the fair has made significant contribution to the Handicrafts exports from India.  It has not only enabled Indian exporters in large numbers to participate in the show and secure orders but has also enabled more and more foreign buyers to source their requirement from India at one place, at one time and under one roof.  The most important role played by the IHGF has been the increase in the foreign exchange earnings, according to Shri Rakesh Kumar, ED – EPCH.

The Handicrafts exports during the year 2015-16 was Rs. 21457.91 crores with an overall increase of 6.85% over the previous year. During the first six months of current financial year i.e. 2016-17, exports to the tune of Rs. 13005.35 crore has been achieved, and it is hoped that target fixed for the year 2016-17 will be surpassed.