By Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: As the world’s two biggest economic superpowers - the United States and China - collide, the tremors are being felt far and wide. However, India’s handicrafts manufacturers have expressed optimism that the trade war may come as a boon for India.
“Major businesses may transfer to India amid the US-China trade war. There is a big opportunity for us, as it is the time we can capture the handicraft market worldwide with expectation for long-term gains,” said Dr Rakesh Kumar, chief mentor of Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) to ETV Bharat here on Tuesday.
He said that the tariffs introduced by the United States are not exclusive to India - they apply globally.
“However, in comparison to competitor countries like China, Vietnam, and Cambodia, India faces relatively low tariffs. Furthermore, the 90-day tariff proposed by the US provides a timely opportunity for India to engage in a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA),” said Dr Kumar.
It is worth mentioning that the 59th edition of the IHGF Delhi Fair-Spring 2025, organized by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, is scheduled to be held on April 16-19 at the India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater Noida.
“Leveraging India’s unparalleled diversity and craftsmanship, this feat stands as a proven, progressive, and indispensable global sourcing hub. We aspire to be the preferred sourcing destination for everyone, from large wholesalers to importers to niche buyers and especially retailers attending the fair,” said Dr Kumar.
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is a nodal agency for promotion of exports of handicrafts from the country and create brand image of magic of the gifted hands of millions of artisans and crafts persons engaged in production of home, lifestyle, textiles, furniture and fashion jewellery and accessories products in different crafts of the country.
According to RK Verma, executive director of EPCH, handicrafts products worth Rs 33,490.79 crores (US$ 3959.86 million) were exported in 2024-25.
India should not be a dumping ground for Chinese products
As India faces a systemic trade challenge where China and other developed countries such as the EU and Japan exploit global trade structures to gain an unfair advantage, Dr Kumar said that India must broaden its trade defences to ensure that it does not turn into a global dumping ground for China or any other economy.
“The government of India should impose certain restrictions on Chinese products, so that our country can’t be treated as a dumping ground of products from China or any other economies,” he said.
Time to leverage the US market
Admitting that America is a big market for India, Dr Rakesh Kumar said that 36 percent of India’s handicraft products go to the US. “In this 59th edition of IHGF Delhi Fair-Spring 2025, as many as 470 buyers from the US and 120 buyers from the Middle East have already registered. The current trade war is a boon for India to extend its market globally,” he said.
Focus on Make in India
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts chairman, Dileep Baid, said that with a significant influx of buyers from around the world, the exhibitors here are committed to making this exhibition a pivotal platform for the Indian handicraft sector.
“This season marks many exciting new endeavours, including regional deco-utility lines and furnishing, a line-up of innovative new products and introductions by start-ups. Designers as well as alumni from NIFT, NID and IIT will be displaying their innovative product designs, including sustainable designs with special focus on circular and recycled materials,” said Baid.
Scope for local entrepreneurs
The exhibition is also an opportunity for the local brass metal industry. Stating that 75 percent of brass products worth Rs 10,000 crore were exported to America, Abdesh Agarwal, general secretary of Moradabad Handicrafts Association, told ETV Bharat that this exhibition would allow them to attract more markets from across the globe.
Echoing the same view, Hansraj Baheti from Rajasthan said that 3,000 to 4,000 handicraft products have been exported abroad from Jodhpur.
“With the escalation of trade war between the two global giants, we are hopeful that India’s local product will get more market expansion globally,” said Baheti.
Overseas buyers from over 100 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Russia, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, the UK, UAE, USA, Sweden and many others are expected to take part in the event.
“There will be more than 3000 exhibitors drawn from across the country with strong representation from handicraft clusters, production hubs and artisan villages. Besides exhibition booths in the halls, visitors will have access to the 900 marts and permanent showrooms of leading exporters, located on various levels of the India Expo centre,” said Nirmal Bhandari, president of the reception committee of the IHGF Delhi Fair-Spring 2025.
