Marketing Support and Services Schemes for Indian Handicraft

Abstract

India has a rich handicrafts culture where each state is known for its variety of craft traditions. Irrespective of its folkloric uniqueness, different languages, various cultures, and natural resources, India has a diverse tradition of handicrafts and art works. There is a diversity of ethnic handicrafts ranging from north to south and east to west. There are varieties of handicrafts made of wood, marble, textile, and other things representing relevance to each state. Some of the artistries were born out of necessity, while others happened solely out of mans innate fascination towards crafts. Indian handicraft industry has a huge untapped potential for marketing in both domestic & international market. There is a need to increase the popularity of handicrafts both in domestic & international markets. Artisans do not get enough opportunities to access the domestic/international high-end markets, as they are generally poor, illiterate and mainly come from remote or rural areas. It is necessary to facilitate their access to various markets and marketing channels, through marketing support and services schemes. This research paper attempts to highlight marketing support and services schemes for Indian handicrafts and the challenges towards the implementation of these schemes. This paper would be of great importance to the marketers of Indian handicrafts and also to the artisans who would be benefited through it. The data are collected from the secondary sources. Before concluding the paper, the role of the government will also be discussed in the promotion of handicraft and protection of interest of artisans.

Keywords: Handicrafts, Marketing, Promotion, Artisans, Development

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