India craft gift makers releasing more modern, eco-friendly products

Craft gift makers from India are combining traditional and modern elements in their products. The latest releases include smartphone and passport holders, wallets, sling bags and laptop sleeves with hand-embroidered, carved or painted artwork depicting local flora or fauna. Designs featuring religious and mythical figures are also being offered.

Love Leather, for example, offers iPad sleeves with an image of Ravana, a character in the epic Ramayana. The Tribal Collection of the New Delhi-based company also includes tablet computer sleeves featuring figures from Hindu mythology.

To cater to the growing number of eco-conscious consumers, makers are also adopting sustainable materials such as jute, cane, water hyacinth and bamboo.

Jute is typically sourced from the states of Assam and West Bengal. It also grows in Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Water hyacinth and cane are available from the state of Assam. Bamboo, meanwhile, is sourced mostly from the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Industry thrives on natural resources

A key factor supporting the growth of the handicraft industry is the wide variety of raw materials that can be sourced domestically. For one, India has more than 70 million hectares of forested land. Among the timber species found in the country’s forests are teak, acacia and sal.

India also has deposits of marble, granite and other types of stone which are used to create decorative boxes, figurines and other home decor. The states of Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are the main producers of marble. Rajasthan is also a key source of granite and sandstone.

Additionally, the country is one of the world’s largest producers of cotton and leather. The major cotton-producing states are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana and Punjab. For leather, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are the key producers.

India exported about $3.66 billion worth of handicrafts during the 12-month period ending March 2017, up 11 percent year over year, according to information posted on the website of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).

This article and its contents are provided by the Hinrich Foundation, a partner of Global Sources in promoting trade across Asia. The products and the suppliers featured in this article are export assistance program beneficiaries of the Hinrich Foundation.