India’s Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts has hailed the success of a EPCH India Pavilion at the Spring Fair.
The UK imports £222m worth of Indian handicrafts, including home furnishings and decorative products, with the total expected to rise significantly following the agreement of the India UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which cuts tariffs on many products.
‘Spring Fair is a great opportunity for India to display its unparalleled diversity, rich culture and long tradition of arts and crafts on a large stage,’ says Rajesh Rawat, EPCH executive director.
‘With the India UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement progressive tariff reductions, simpler rules of origin and customs facilitation will bring confidence and predictability to buyer–seller conversations translating into lower costs, quicker clearances, smoother compliance and the headroom for UK retailers to scale multi-season products, private labels and design collaborations with Indian suppliers,’ says Neeraj Khanna, EPCH chairman.
‘India’s participation in Spring edition added vibrancy and diversity to the fair, as well as familiarising retailers, manufacturers and brands with the robust entrepreneurship in the Indian textiles, home furnishing and consumer products industries, opening up opportunities for sourcing from India.’
‘The United Kingdom, being one of the major markets in the world, has a vast potential for handicrafts,’ says Rawat.
