Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director, of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, exuded confidence when we landed in his office for a talk on the Council’s role in boosting exports. Ready for any question that would come from THE BLUE MOON. After organizing Fairs for several years at the centrally located Pragati Maidan, the EPCH has now shifted venue to the EXPO MART in Greater NOIDA.

TBM : The EPCH has world class fair ground in the Mart. However, the Mart has failed to take off the way it was projected – a round the year market place for buyers and sellers. How far do you agree with this?

RK : It would be wrong to say that the Mart has failed. Exporters bought large showrooms in the Mart and today if any of them are renting it out partially, it means that they have surplus area. We have three marketing weeks at the Mart. World class centres at Atlanta and Dallas have six market weeks. The India Expo Mart is also trying to increase the number of weeks. Moreover, we had 30,000 square metres exhibition space and in the Mart we have 90,000 square metres. The response we get from the international buyers is in favour of the Mart. They call it a business like place. We have all facilities at the Mart that you would find in an international exhibition ground.

TBM : Exhibitors have been often heard complaining that the Mart is too far from Delhi and that an overseas buyer must waste at least two to three hours a day to make a round trip to the Mart from the hotel he stays in Delhi. This, in spite of the fact that the EPCH makes all commuting arrangements by providing free of cost buses from and to the hotels in Delhi.

RK : Most of the exhibition grounds in the world are located outside the city or far from the city centre. The Council took initiative to set up the Mart. A special purpose vehicle company under public, private partnership (PPP) was formed whose objective was to provide a place where buyers could come. We had a stake of 10% in the project. We achieved our aim. In fact, we have now disinvested from the Mart. We are still active partners in events and promotions.

TBM : There is barely any hotel accommodation for overseas buyers in Greater NOIDA. Do you foresee any new hotels coming up? Also don’t you feel the necessity of a fast public transport to the Mart like Metro?

RK : There are many new hotels coming up in greater NOIDA. Jaypee, Era and Radisson are putting up new projects. We are expecting 2500 rooms to come up in the area. We are trying to get the Metro here to connect with New Delhi.

TBM : The EPCH had organized its first Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) in 1994, after which it continued to grow upwards, moving to two shows a year from one. Are you satisfied with the number and quality of buyers visiting the Fairs each year?

RK : There is a positive change. We find a large number of overseas buyers attending these Fairs are wholesalers.

TBM : Small exporters have often complained that the Council is ‘administered’ by rich exporters and they have little say in the affairs. What do you say to this?

RK : In handicrafts’ business there is no small or big exporter. In our Council there is a single membership. In other councils there are separate categories. Performers achieve benefits by their work. There are no restrictions on the part of the Council. Any member-exporter who has a annual turnover of Rs.5 lakh can contest for the managing committee membership. Similarly a member can contest for Chairmanship if he has completed Rs.25 lakh turnover.

TBM : In spite of your best efforts, India has failed to evoke the kind of response that China gets in Guangzhou. Why?

RK : This is like comparing a big grocery shop to a one product shop. China has voluminous production. In Shinzhen there are 700 ceramic factories each employing some 2000 people. I say hats off to Chinese government. Their production was so high that, at one stage, they were trying to decelerate their production.

TBM : Does the Council take steps towards improving production techniques and packaging by exporters which remains a weak point?

RK : Yes we have been organising training workshops and seminars. We have held training programs in Firozabad, Saharanpur and Jodhpur. We have been asking the exporters to locate and use the best techniques. The government of India is providing support for this. We are providing schemes to common facility centres (CFCs) in Jodhpur and Saharanpur. Twenty five more CFCs will come up in next three years in north India.

TBM : There are buying agents appointed by buyers for quality control and sourcing. Do you provide them any support ?

RK : We are not working with buying agents, it is the exporters who are working with them. It is for the exporter and the buying agency to decide to work together. Their business depends on their ethics. There is no compulsion on routing buying agencies through the Council. EPCH does not register the buying agents; they can be members like any other member. There is no special scheme for registering them.

TBM : Are all exporters necessarily members of the Council?

RK : They may not necessarily be members of the Council to export, but I have not met any exporter who is not a member of the Council. At present we have 7000 members. We participate in 47 international events. We provide Market Development Assistance (MDA) to exporters. About 1200 members benefited from this scheme last year accounting for a total outflow of Rs.7 crore. EPCH is also granting some import licences. And now we have a scheme for Fair participation wherein we are holding 10% space for new comers. It is important to ensure that the needs of the members are addressed.