Crafts Council to focus on exports

The Crafts Council of West Bengal (CCWB) will be focussing more on exports this year apart from strengthening its domestic consumption.

Speaking on the sidelines of its exhibition, Ruby Pal Choudhuri, executive director and general secretary of the Crafts Council, claimed that exports done by the council were miniscule, as it faced monetary hurdles apart from manpower crunch.

CCWB would be organising an exhibiton at Philadelphia in the US to popularise Indian handicrafts, apart from garnering revenues since Indian aritisans and craftsmen have immense potential which was not adequately highlighted, admitted Choudhuri. It has already organised such exhibitions at the British Museum as well as in Sydney. The exhibiton at Philadelphia would showcase Bengal’s ‘kaantha stich’ variant of embroidery, since these varieties should be showcased more, added Choudhuri.

To increase exports from the Crafts Council, manpower requirement coupled with paperwork and monetary assistance of approximately Rs 5 lakh, to start with, to meet the international quality standard were required, added Choudhuri.

On an average, the council clocked in exports of Rs 3-5 lakh, which was fairly less, compared to its potential, admitted Choudhuri. However, India has a good domestic market for handicrafts that needs to be tapped and so these forms of ‘traditional crafts’ would have to be popularised. “The Crafts Council will be organising a total of six exhibitions this year and achieve sales of close to Rs 5 crore, since such shows are receiving a good response and we intend to avail of the oppurtunity”, informed Choudhuri. Last week, the council had garnered revenues close to Rs 20 lakh from its ‘tribal collection’ showcasing collections from Bengal and Orissa (koraput variety) and will be organising the ‘Baisakhi’ exhibition during the Bengali new year.

The council is currently holding its ‘Abir’ collection created by Bailou displaying handwoven sarees in a range between Rs 650-Rs 4000 to be held till March 7.