Handicraft Sector of India: Overview of Production and Export Potentiality

Abstract India is a nation with rich ethnic traditions and cultural heritage, and it is also the center for handicrafts. India's handicraft industry is an unorganized, decentralized, and labor-intensive business in terms of economics. The handicraft industry is extremely important because of its high percentage of value addition, minimal capital investment, and great potential for export and foreign exchange revenues. This study examined the growth pattern of handcraft production and exports as well as their relationship to overall exports by using the data from the annual report of the Ministry of Textile and export of handicraft data collected from Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). Also, the performance of the major government scheme which is promoting the sector has been overviewed. India exported a total of 32,758 crores worth of handicrafts in 2023–2024. The United States of America is the primary trading partner for handicrafts. The percentage of handcrafted goods produced and exported has increased recently, hence it is undeniable that Indian handicrafts will play a significant role in the future of the global handicraft market, especially in terms of employment and income in rural India. Although a sizable percentage of female artists work in this industry, the study found that their pay is significantly lower than their male counterparts. The analysis found that the main program intended to boost the handicraft industry had fluctuations in its performance.