EPCH is an ISO 9001:2000 certified non-profit organisation and the apex body representing Indian handicraft manufacturers and exporters. The council provides comprehensive information about the sector to international buyers and ensures optimal interface between the Indian handicraft industry and international buyers, to facilitate conducive business.
Among its regular activities, EPCH organises buyer-seller meets, conferences and study tours overseas to explore market opportunities. The council also conducts design and technical workshops for creating awareness within the industry. With over 7,000 member exporters, EPCH has successfully positioned India as a sourcing destination for the best in handcrafted gifts and lifestyle products.EPCH is recognised as a model organisation for its continuous pursuit of excellence. With its headquarters in Delhi, EPCH has representative offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Moradabad.
BASIC IDEA BEHIND INITIATING PROMOTION OF HANDICRAFTS
THE HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY
The small scale and cottage sector helps to solve social and economic problems of the artisans, by providing employment to over 7 millions artisans, which include a significant section of women and people belonging to weaker sections of society. In addition to the high potential for employment, the sector is economically important from the point of low capital investment, high ratio of value addition, and high potential for export and foreign exchange earnings for the country. The industry is highly labour intensive and decentralised, being spread all over the country in rural and urban areas
A venture like this is pragmatic for a country like India, since the platform is providing livelihood to around 7 million artisans and becoming a ‘one-stop sourcing’ platform wherein marketing and business opportunities are provided to exporters with inherent skill, new designs and groundbreaking innovation.
OBJECTIVE OF EPCH
The main activities of EPCH are narrated as follows:
Providing commercially useful information and assistance to members in developing and increasing exports.
Offering professional advice and services to members in areas of technology upgradation, quality and design improvement, standards and specifications, product development, innovation, etc.
Organising visits of its member delegation abroad to explore overseas market opportunities.
Participating in specialised international trade fairs of handicrafts and gifts.
Organising Indian handicrafts and gifts fair at New Delhi.
Interaction between exporting community and government both at the Central and State level and representing in almost all the committees or panels of the Central and State.
Creating an environment of awareness through workshops on export marketing, procedures and documentation,’ packaging, quality compliances, service tax, FTPs, design development, buyer-seller meet, open house, etc., interaction with central and state government and various other similar programmes.
Disseminating the activities of the EPCH, notification of government orders, information on trade fairs and other relevant information through monthly journal CRAFTCIL.
PRODUCT CATEGORIES EPCH DEALS IN:
1. Houseware, tableware, kitchenware and hotelware including EPNS
2. Bathroom accessories
3. Lawn, garden ornaments and accessories
4. Lamps, lighting and accessories
5. Furniture, furniture hardware and accessories
6. Home furnishings and madeups
7. Carpets, rugs and floorings
8. Fashion jewellery, bags, scarves, tie and accessories
9. Handcrafted garments including chikankari and zardozi
10. Christmas and festive decor
11. Candles, incense sticks, potpourri and aromatics
12. Decorative gifts (including corporate gifts)
13. Toys, sports goods, trophies, hobbies, educational games and do-it-yourself
14. Cane, bamboo, natural fibre and eco-friendly products
15. Stationery and paper including handmade paper products, giftwraps and ribbons
16. Bags, luggage and leather goods
INFRASTRUCTURE CREATED FOR OUR MEMBERS EXPORTERS
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR PHOTO & PICTURE FRAMING TECHNOLOGY AT SAHARANPUR AND JODHPUR
To provide infrastructural support for upgrading technological input for handicrafts sector, especially photo framing technology which has huge potential in the international market, Common Facility Centre (CFC) at Saharanpur and Jodhpur has been set up. Imported upgraded machines as per international requirements have been set up to facilitate the exporters of woodware crafts to utilise the same for upgraded production. Both the centres are functional at Saharanpur and Jodhpur.
TECHNOLOGY UPGRADATION CENTRE AT SAHARANPUR
To further strengthen the sector, a more comprehensive plan was envisaged to provide an overall facelift to the wood carving industry of Saharanpur. The Council has implemented the project by setting up of a technology upgradation centre at Saharanpur. The exporters in wood craft from Saharanpur are actively utilising the services for technological upgradation of wooden products.
ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL LACE TRADE CENTRE
With a view to address the need to integrate the cluster to major and international buyers and build an amenable marketing platform to scale up the business, the council in coordination with the Government of India has established the International Lace Trade Centre at Narasapur (Andhra Pradesh). The centre aims to build the requisite marketing infrastructure and foster trade linkages with national and international markets thereby promoting growth of the cluster and its primary stakeholders.
SETTING UP OF MORADABAD RESOURCE CENTRE
To uplift and upgrade the Moradabad cluster by providing business resource facilities for artisans, craftsmen, exporters and entrepreneurs as well as to develop the first state-of-the-art centralised facility in Moradabad to facilitate information dissemination relating to business development, world market trends, marketing and publicity and to cater to the changing tastes and requirements of the international markets and remain abreast with the latest development.
HANDICRAFTS PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE AT JAIPUR
For the benefit of craft persons and exporters of the state of Rajasthan, EPCH is establishing the Handicrafts Productivity Centre at Jaipur with the view to address the need for promoting crafts and foster the growth of craft sector in Rajasthan. The project is primarily for up-gradation of skill development, quality improvement, training and testing laboratory to provide value-added services to the handicrafts exporters based in Rajasthan.
PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
In order to provide a marketing platform to member exporters, the council organises one of the world’s largest handicrafts and gifts fair held biannually titled IHGF DELHI FAIR spread in an area of 1,90,000 sq.m with over 2,750 exhibitors participating in the show.
The council also organises product-specific shows like HOME EXPO INDIA catering to housewares, decorative, furniture, home textiles and other product categories, and INDIAN FASHION JEWELLERY & ACCESSORIES SHOW (IFJAS), catering to jewellery and accessories.
Apart from organising shows in India, the council organises over 30 oversees shows all across the globe and also organises brand image promotion programmes, festivals of India, networking seminars, etc.
In order to encourage maximum number of buyers to visit the shows, direct interactions with the buyers, mailing of promotional flyers, sending e-mailers, advertisements in different craft magazines, presence in social media, and one-to-one discussions through tele-marketing is also being carried out simultaneously.
FLAGSHIP EVENT: IHGF DELHI FAIR
IHGF Delhi Fair is amongst the world’s largest gifts and handicrafts fair, held biannually (Spring and Autumn edition) and is organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH). Since its inception in 1994, IHGF has evolved to become Asia’s ‘one-stop sourcing event’ eagerly awaited by buyers across the globe. Indian entrepreneurs’ core competency and extended channelisation of manufacturing practices have led to IHGF’s unrivalled presence in the world market, as it has carved out its identity on the international map and offered sourcing opportunities in various volumes, to overseas buyers, agents, etc. IHGF is a must attend event for everyone from small progressive independents to leading brands, departmental store chains, specialty stores, retailers, interior designers, importers, wholesalers and distributors of various product segments to source an unparalleled variety of handicrafts, gifts and lifestyle products, from a cross-section of manufacturers from India. IHGF showcases the most extensive range of handcrafted products ever put on display. The fair will feature home and lifestyle, home textiles, furniture, floor coverings and accessories, house wares, jewellery and accessories, decoration and gifts, bags and cloths, Christmas and floor decors including eco-friendly products.
USP of IHGF DELHI FAIR 2014
IHGF Delhi Fair 2014 brings five power-packed days, with over 2,750 exhibitors in enriched display spaces, spread over 190,000 sq.m area, in the plush India Expo Centre & Mart. Buyers also have the advantage of ordering directly from artisans. The fair neatly profiles a total of 16 show sectors with six completely new ones, comprising more than 1,200 product varieties and styles. The show is also aptly timed for ready festive buying.
This show in the past has been restricted to overseas visitors only. However, this year the fair has been opened for domestic retail buyers on 16th and 17th October 2014, in a special manner. To facilitate sourcing by domestic buyers, EPCH has made special arrangements amongst the exhibiting companies through colour coding or marking meant to indicate the companies interested in retail business. This is intended to save time of the domestic buyers for reaching out to the correct stand or company interested in retail business.
The USP of the show is it being a ‘one-stop sourcing’ event for oversees buyers for a varied range of handicrafts, gifts, decorative, etc. under one roof from the best of Indian handicrafts manufacturers .
CRITERIA OF BECOMING MEMEBERS
Any interested person can become the member of EPCH by obtaining an application form from EPCH for Rs. 100 and attaching the requisite documents along with a fees of Rs. 3,500 plus service taxes.
QUALIFICATIONS IN PARTICIPANTS OF IHGF
The member exporters can participate in IHGF DELHI FAIR with their handicrafts merchandise and is expected to display their products in the show.
EVENTS & WORKSHOPS ORGANISED BY EPCH
The council organises IHGF Delhi Fair, which is amongst the world’s largest gifts and handicrafts fair, held biannually (Spring and Autumn edition). Since its inception in 1994, IHGF has evolved to become Asia’s one-of-its-kind sourcing event eagerly awaited by buyers across the globe.
The council also organises product-specific shows like Home Expo India catering to house wares, decorative, furniture, home textiles and other product categories and Indian Fashion Jewellery & Accessories Show (IFJAS), catering to jewellery and accessories.
Further, the council also organises informative seminars and workshops on regular basis pertaining to subjects like compliances, export documents, cyber security, e-commerce, product design and development, opportunities in retail market, containerisation and many more.
