Union Textiles Minister, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the 42nd edition of world’s largest handicrafts fair, “IHGF- Delhi Fair Autumn 2016”, in a colourful ceremony at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida today. While visiting the fair, the Textiles Minister expressed her appreciation for the state-of-the art exhibition centre possessing world-class facilities. She commended EPCH efforts for creating an infrastructure that helps not only handicrafts exporters but also provides direct and indirect employment to many people. Smt. Irani said that artisans and crafts persons are the backbone of handicrafts sector and that they should be provided all required assistance, with regard to design intervention and technology, in order to create marketing platforms for their products. The Minister appreciated EPCH for bringing products from natural fibres made by artisans and crafts persons of North Eastern, Narsapur and other craft clusters, at the world’s largest handicrafts fair. She also congratulated EPCH in attracting buyers from more than 100 countries, with an increase in number of visiting buyers by around 23%, over last year.To get benefitted from the visit of tourists in the country, Smt. Irani requested Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, who was also present at the inaugural ceremony, to establish souvenir shops in famous ASI monuments in which products made by artisans and crafts persons can be sold, thereby providing them additional marketing opportunities.In his address, Dr. Mahesh Sharma said that India Expo Centre & Mart has brought laurels to the town of Greater Noida, which is popularly known for various National and International events. ddressing the gathering, Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta said that handicrafts sector has achieved greater heights since independence and that IHGF-Delhi Fair is one of the reasons for this progression.
Over 5000 buyers from more than 100 countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Sweden and UK from Europe; USA, Canada, Mexico, and Latin American Countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and others; and African countries such as Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria etc. have come to source their requirements at the fair. Other important countries from where buyers would be coming include China, Japan, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore and many more.Apart from overseas buyers, domestic volume retail buyers from many leading retail chains of India such as Archies, The Bombay Store, Good Earth Pvt. Ltd, Westside, HomeTown, Home Centre and Home Stop along with e-commerce companies such as pepperfry.com, fabfurnish.com, urbanladder.com and flipkart.com have also come to visit the IHGF-Delhi Fair Autumn 2016.The first day of the show saw hectic activities with buyers engaged in business negotiations in Mart area as well as in exhibition halls.Member of Legislative Assembly, Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Vimla Batham; Chairman, EPCH, Shri Dinesh Kumar, President of the Fair, Shri Naved Ur Rehman, other dignitaries, and press and media from India and abroad were present at the inaugural ceremony. The fair is being organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts [EPCH] from 14 – 18 October, 2016 at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida. EPCH, which is a nodal agency for promotion and development of handicrafts has been organizing the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair for the last 22 years. IHGF-Delhi Fair Autumn 2016 is expected to generate huge amount of enquiries and orders.