Council Of Kolkata Unstitched Salwar Suits (COKUSS) plans to take Bengal handicraft and embroidery works and Bengal craftsmanship to the international market in a big way this year through Kolkata Fashion File 2009, the exclusive two-day buyer-seller meet.
The council also plans to impart training to more than one lakh unskilled labourers in the state this year in order to promote the ethnic art in Bengal.
Addressing a press conference on the KKF 2009, Kesri Rania, president, COKUSS, said, “We expect to generate business worth Rs 100 crore this year. Our main objective is to showcase the ethnic works of karigars in West Bengal and open up export opportunities. There is a huge demand for Kolkata handicrafts and embroidery works like Katha stitch, Kalamkari, Jarjodi and so on in the European market."
This year the two-day fair-cum-exhibition will showcase embroidery works of Bengal artisans, one of the best in the country. More than 500 buyers from India and abroad are expected to attend the show.
COKUSS consists some 69 Kolkata-based unstitched salwar suit houses and wholesalers who export and also sell it locally. Some of the key markets in India for COKUSS are Mumbai, Delhi and Chandigarh.
There has been a sudden spurt in demand in the international market and some of the units have started exporting.“Some of the key markets abroad where there is a huge demand for Kolkata embroidery are Indonesia, Madrid, Barcelona, Zurich and Milan. Export to some European countries have already started this year,” pointed out Rajesh Goyal, former secretary, COKUSS.
The council is expected to achieve a turnover of Rs 300 crore this year. Last year COKUSS provided training to more than 2 lakh individuals mostly from Howrah, Midnapore, Barasat, Ranaghat which are traditional textile hubs in Bengal.
