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ABSTRACT
Handicrafts are an important productive sector and export commodity for many developing countries and in some countries constitutes a significant part of the export economy. The growth of international markets for home accessory products and an increased interest in global goods have opened up new-market opportunities for artisans. In India, handicraftindustry is a major source of income for rural communities employing over six million artisans including a large number of women and people belonging to the weaker sections of the society. However, observers of the handicrafts sector predict that the escalating number of small businesses turning to handicraftproduction is unlikely to decline significantly in the future. The present study entails the various problems of the handicraftindustry which can be worked upon by the mutual association ship of the Indian government and the handicraftexporters in order to boost and promote the traditional sector.
Keywords: Handicrafts, overseas marketing, export problems, exporters, artisans, etc.
INTRODUCTION
Handicrafts are a form of industry and products that are, for the greater part made by hand. They are usually produced with low initial capital investment from materials available mostly within the producing country, the designs reflecting local cultural factors and skills. The workers in this industry are not unionized. Handicrafts are an important productive sector and export commodity for many developing countries .The growth of international markets for home accessory products and an increased interest in global goods have opened up newmarket opportunities for artisans. Despite widespread production, however, there is a lack of common definition of handicrafts, although various attempts have been made to characterize this broad and rather unstructured sector.
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization/Information Technology Community (UNESCO /ITC) International Symposium on "Crafts and the International Market: Trade and Customs Codification", Manila, Philippines, October 1997: Handicrafts can be defined as products which are produced either completely by hand or with the help of tools. Mechanical tools may be used as long as the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most substantial component of the finished product. Handicrafts are made from raw materials and can be produced in unlimited numbers. Such products can be utilitarian, aesthetic, artistic, creative, culturally attached, decorative, functional, traditional, religiously and socially symbolic and significant.
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