Handicrafts exports up by 48 % in November

Handicrafts exports grew by a robust 48 per cent year-on-year to fetch
$66 million in November 2010, following increasing demand from the US
and European Union markets.
According to data provided by the Export Promotion Council for
Handicrafts (EPCH),
handicrafts exports stood at $44.81 million in November 2009.

Among the items which saw maximum export growth were imitation
jewellery (up by 79.85 per cent), woodware (up by 78.05 per cent) and
shawls as artware (up by 51.94 per cent), the EPCH Executive Director,
Mr Rakesh Kumar, said : Following the increased demand, the Union
government revised the exports target upwards to $2.5 billion from
$2.2 billion for the current fiscal.

According to EPCH, during April-November 2010, exports went up by 25
per cent to $1.13 billion from $912 million in the corresponding
period of 2009-10.

The US and the European Union together account for 70 per cent of the
handicrafts exports.