Handicrafts face tech challenge, losing ground to others
Updated: Aug 31, 2013 02:38:12pm
New Delhi, Aug 31 (KNN) Indian handicrafts sector faces a number of threats including lack of modern technology which hamper its growth, according to the National Centre for Design and Product Development (NCDPD).
Although there is availability of raw materials such as bamboo, cane, jute, leather, coir etc, the sector lacks design, innovation and technology upgradation, it said.
The sector is highly fragmented, unstructured and has limited access to credit. It also lacks strong umbrella sector organisations.
Further, countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China etc. have laid emphasis on technological upgrade of the production techniques, customer oriented design and product development. As a result, those countries have turned into a sourcing hub for other nations.
Meanwhile, handicrafts sector provides employment to more than 7.4 million artisans which include a large number of women and people belonging to weaker sections of the society.
In 2012-13, India exported handicrafts worth USD 3.30 billion. Indian handicrafts are also popular in emerging markets like Latin America, North America and European countries.
The demand for handicrafts in the domestic as well as international market is huge and diverse. Despite such demand, only a fraction of artisans have been able to utilize the opportunity, while most of them have only been able to access just the local markets.
As a result, these artisans are dependent on traders and middlemen to sell their products in international markets.
Therefore, new and better markets should be made available to them directly so as to facilitate the development of the entire sector, the NCDPD said.
Further, due to the lack of awareness and knowledge about the appropriate tools and technology, the artisans are still using the old methods of production. This restricts their production capacity and the quality of the product.
Reluctance among the artisans to incorporate technological changes is also an important factor aggravating the issue, it said.
Also the lack of basic infrastructure and civic amenities such as high cost of transportation, irregular electricity supply, work-sheds, warehousing, etc, impact the development of the entire sector.
Meanwhile, with the increasing mechanization of the production processes, the markets have been flooded with machine-made products, which were originally handcrafted.
The handicrafts sector is facing stiff competition from such machine-made products, as these products are cheaper and have high production output among other factors. (KNN/GUNJ)
Although there is availability of raw materials such as bamboo, cane, jute, leather, coir etc, the sector lacks design, innovation and technology upgradation, it said.
The sector is highly fragmented, unstructured and has limited access to credit. It also lacks strong umbrella sector organisations.
Further, countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China etc. have laid emphasis on technological upgrade of the production techniques, customer oriented design and product development. As a result, those countries have turned into a sourcing hub for other nations.
Meanwhile, handicrafts sector provides employment to more than 7.4 million artisans which include a large number of women and people belonging to weaker sections of the society.
In 2012-13, India exported handicrafts worth USD 3.30 billion. Indian handicrafts are also popular in emerging markets like Latin America, North America and European countries.
The demand for handicrafts in the domestic as well as international market is huge and diverse. Despite such demand, only a fraction of artisans have been able to utilize the opportunity, while most of them have only been able to access just the local markets.
As a result, these artisans are dependent on traders and middlemen to sell their products in international markets.
Therefore, new and better markets should be made available to them directly so as to facilitate the development of the entire sector, the NCDPD said.
Further, due to the lack of awareness and knowledge about the appropriate tools and technology, the artisans are still using the old methods of production. This restricts their production capacity and the quality of the product.
Reluctance among the artisans to incorporate technological changes is also an important factor aggravating the issue, it said.
Also the lack of basic infrastructure and civic amenities such as high cost of transportation, irregular electricity supply, work-sheds, warehousing, etc, impact the development of the entire sector.
Meanwhile, with the increasing mechanization of the production processes, the markets have been flooded with machine-made products, which were originally handcrafted.
The handicrafts sector is facing stiff competition from such machine-made products, as these products are cheaper and have high production output among other factors. (KNN/GUNJ)
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