Indian Fair

In February, the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair (IHGF) held its 19th semiannual show at the Pragati Maidan fairgrounds in New Delhi. Some 1,500 exhibitors showcased products for an expected 8,000 foreign buyers, and show organizers noted that some exhibitors had to be turned away because of lack of space at the fairgrounds.

Metalware, glass, textiles, leather, and rattan and wicker top the list of materials Indians excel at turning into products designed for worldwide appeal, and there were plenty examples of each on display. There was also a similarity in products offered by a variety of vendors, especially colored glass vases and jars, home textiles, and metalware.

In creating products suited for the world market, Indian designers take their cues from European and American trends, as well as creating merchandise specifically for major American retailers and wholesalers such as Hobby Lobby, Target, Bombay, Pier 1, Tozai, and Foreside. The product in those stores and showrooms is very much what you'll see at the IHGF, which caters to major buyers. For the most part, vendors price their products based on shipping container-sized orders — so this was not a show for small orders.

A special exhibition of products from the northeastern part of India (which specializes in eco-friendly crafts using cane, bamboo, rattan, and other sustainable resources) was called “Cocooning India.” The exhibition's theme was the use of natural colors on natural materials to emphasize “harmony and well-being,” and the principle challenge for these vendors is to create product that appeals to contemporary tastes, especially in Europe and the U.S.

They've been assisted in recent years by a team led by Filipino design consultant P.J. Aranador. One vendor, Barak Cane, presented an elegant collection of colorful cane vases, serving platters, bowls, and other tabletop pieces accented with polished aluminum. The designer was inspired after a visit to Dallas to study the American market.

While American and European buyers were well represented at the IHGF, the show's organizers, the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), made a special push to reach markets in Latin America, Africa, and Central Asia, inviting journalists and buyers from those regions to help raise awareness of Indian gift and home decor products. Organizers also noted that India is beginning to import raw materials, especially semi-precious stones, from Africa for use in jewelry, another mainstay of the IHGF.

Indian exports of gift and home decor products have grown quickly over the past decade, reaching more than $2.3 billion in 2003–2004. Still, that represents a mere 2 percent of the global market, according to the EPCH. In an effort to enlarge its portion of the market, the EPCH plans to grow the IHGF, moving in 2006 to the new India Expo Center, a trade mart facility under construction in Noida, a New Delhi suburb. Permanent showroom space will also be available at the new center. In the meantime, EPCH hopes to secure more buildings at the Pragati Maidan site to house more exhibitors at the next Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair, October 12–17, 2005.