53rd Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair to be held in Greater Noida from March 30

The four-day fair will open to overseas buyers, buying and sourcing professionals as well as large domestic retail buyers

The 53rd edition of the Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) will be held at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida from March 30 to April 3 and will bring together over 2,500 handicraft exporters under one roof, officials announced Thursday.

The 52nd edition of the fair was held in October last year. Officials said that with Covid-19 guidelines and travel restrictions being gradually lifted by the Union government, the fair is expected to be a big draw this year. (HT Archive)

The 52nd edition of the fair was held in October last year. Officials said that with Covid-19 guidelines and travel restrictions being gradually lifted by the Union government, the fair is expected to be a big draw this year.

“We welcome the government’s move to ease international travel restrictions. Many business units can attend the fair without any hassle. The handicrafts sector has sustained manufacturing and exports during the Covid-19 pandemic against heavy odds,” said Dr Rakesh Kumar, director general, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), the group that organises the fair.

The four-day fair will open to overseas buyers, buying and sourcing professionals as well as large domestic retail buyers .

“The exhibition will have representation of craft manufacturing hubs and clusters at the India Expo Centre halls and 900 permanent showrooms in the India Expo Mart arena, making this a comprehensive sourcing destination. Overseas buyers from over 90 countries have pre-registered and will be visiting the fair,” said Raj Kumar Malhotra, chairman, EPCH.

Officials added that proper Covid-19 protocols will be followed at the fair venue.

Kumar added that the virtual trade shows that were held during the pandemic kept the buyers engaged with exporters and the first post-pandemic physical show held in October last year also helped the handicraft sector.

“The 52nd IHGF held in Delhi in October 2021 achieved estimated exports worth ₹29,626.96 crore (US$ 3981.72 million) during 11 months (April-February) of 2021-22, which is significantly higher than exports during April-March 2020-21 which were worth ₹25,679.98 crore (US$ 3459.75 million). This year, we are expecting to generate more exports,” Kumar added.