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| Marketing Centre for Kashmiri handicrafts to come up at New Delhi soon: Jairam | | Azad suggests aggressive export promotion strategy for Kashmir handicrafts | | Early Times Reporter
Srinagar | Oct 22
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated the first Kashmir Expo-2007 Buyer-Seller Meet here today as an integrated international marketing initiative to promote exports of Kashmir handicrafts, announcing that the event would henceforth be an annual feature.
The significant aspect of the Meet was participation by 50 international business tycoons from USA, South America, Australia, Europe and Middle East, apart from an equal number of exporters of Jammu & Kashmir. Union Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh who has been taking keen interest in promotion of Kashmir handicrafts, was also present.
Minister of State for Industries & Commerce, Dr. Ramesh Chander Sharma, Economic Advisor to Government, Dr. Haseeb Drabu, President, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dr. Mubeen Shah and senior officers were also present.
The Chief Minister said that sustained aggressive export promotion measures would be taken to ensure quantum jump in the export earnings from handicrafts sector, the largest provider of employment in Kashmir. He said the main purpose behind holding the buyer-seller meet was to target focused buyers. He called for organizing shows on product specific themes on regular intervals and target specific buyers from different countries, saying that Kashmir handicrafts were today a general terminology with overseas buyers not able to source products as per their requirement and choice.
Azad said that he wanted to establish specific integrated approach for cottage crafts which was currently lacking. "I want to bring buyers from all over the world round the year and create new marketing opportunities for cottage sector", he said. He described today's event as a beginning and said that it would provide confidence for hosting such meets in future. He described the Meet as a unique partnership between the government, J&K Bank and Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the three co-sponsors and said that it was an event about a business that touched every life in Kashmir. He said handicraft business had woven the social fabric of the Valley and dominated its cultural ethos, adding that handicrafts were not just a business but the manifestation of culture in Kashmir. He said if tourism had brought world to Kashmir, its handicrafts had taken Kashmir to the world. He said Kashmir had 32 practicing handicrafts which was more than most other countries.
In his address, Union Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh underscored the need to have the buyer-seller meet annually in Kashmir, saying that international trade calendar must now-onwards project Kashmir Expo. He said next month foundation of International Trade Centre at Pampore would be laid, fulfilling the long cherished dream. He said the project costing Rs. 35 crore would be completed within 15 months.
Jairam said an institute of gemnology would be set up in J&K to promote training in gems and jewelry. He said 20 youth of the State had already been trained in the job. He said a team of Leather Export Promotion Council would arrive in Srinagar to promote leather industry and its export potential. He said hide and skin available in Kashmir, especially of sheep, was rated high in the world.
Later addressing a press conference, the Minister said that state and central governments were collaborating to set up a marketing centre at New Delhi which would be dedicated to Kashmir handicrafts. The centre, he said, would be set up in partnership between union government, State government and private partners. He said a proposal for this would be submitted by the State government to him within two weeks. He said the idea was to have an international marketing facility for Kashmir handicrafts. |
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