Handicrafts industry stares at bleak future, massive layoffs

JAIPUR: Every year, exporters work three months’ overtime before the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair (IHGF) in Greater Noida in April. After all, this is India’s answer to the Canton Fair in China or Maison & Objet in Paris. Last year, over 3,200 overseas buyers had visited the show and this year their number was expected to grow significantly owing to the trade war between China and the US.
For the handicrafts industry, it offered another chance to maneuver a turnaround in exports growth that has remained anaemic this financial year.Exporters had expected a diversion of buyers from China to India following its initial struggle with coronavirus that led to shutdown of factories.
Read the entire story on TOI+
Why the handicraft sector needs a helping hand during lockdown