Handicrafts of India are demanded and appreciated worldwide for their traditional and regional arts. India is holding the tag of a developing country for quite a long time but is the largest handicraft export from India among all the developing countries.
Due to its highly labor-intensive working method, the future of handi crafts in the Indian Handicraft industry is the second-largest employment generator after the Agriculture Department.
The Handicraft industry in India holds an important share in the country’s exports and nearly 70,000 exporting houses are engaged in promoting handi crafts of India, giving employment to over 7 million craftsmen including females.


During the year 1998-1999, the handicraft market in India generated impressive revenue over USD 1 million.
handicraft export from India worth 118 billion rupees in the year 2018 and surprisingly increased by 10 billion rupees in 2019, making it worth 128 billion rupees.
Handicraft Exports from India and Handicraft Exporters in India
According to a report by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), handicraft exports from India grew by 8.4% in 2017-18 to reach Rs. 34,122 crores. India is one of the largest handicraft exporters in the world, with handicraft exports from India accounting for 2.36% of the country’s overall export earnings. The top 10 markets for Handicrafts of India exports include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, UAE, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium and Luxembourg, Japan and Switzerland.
More than 4 million artisans are employed in the handicrafts sector in India. The industry employs many people living below the poverty line and is an essential source of livelihood for them. A large number of women are also engaged in this sector.
The Government of India provides several schemes and initiatives to promote and develop the handicrafts sector in the country. These include the preferential Market Access Scheme (PMA), Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS), Handicrafts Mega Cluster Scheme (HMCS), Marketing & Exhibition Assistance Scheme (MEAS), National Mission on Handicrafts (NMH) etc.
Some of the leading handicraft exporters from India include Anokhi Adajania Handicraft Exports Pvt Ltd., Jaipur Rugs Company Pvt Ltd., The Bombay Store Pvt Ltd., and Sunita Handicraft Exports.
Which Handicrafts in India are most in-demand in the international market?
The demand for Handicraft in India in the international market is huge. Here is the list of top most demands –
The topmost Handicraft Export From India
- Indian Home Decoratives
- Handmade Sarees, other hand made products
- Furniture, home textiles, and homeware
- Precious gems and jewelry
- Imitation jewelry
All these items are most demanded on an international platform.
Top Handicrafts Manufacturing States
- Saharanpur – Woodworks
- Assam – Terracotta works
- Gujarat -Textile handicrafts and fabrics
- South India – Coconut craft, Mask making, Silk weaving
- Kashmir – Woolen Handicrafts
- Rajasthan – Gems, Precious Stones, Jewellery, Leather, Paintings, Silver, Brass
Some of the Top Handicraft Exporter of India are:
Handicrafts Handloom Exports Corporation of India
HHEC is a well-established Government of India Ministry of Textile company that preserves Indian heritage and traditional handicrafts in its wide range of products like Indian handlooms, Indian antiques, Indian leather, Indian gems, and jewelry, etc.
- Sanjay exports
Over 15 years of its existence, this exporting company has been successful in dealing with Ayurveda and Natural Herbal products representing the old traditional and regional natural remedies of South India.
- Neha Export house
It is one of the leading export companies of India dealing with Indian gems and jewelry, decorative jewelry, silver jewelry, handicraft jewelry, terracotta jewelry, etc.
- Sakura Handicrafts
Being one of the leading exporters of India, Sakura Handicrafts trades and promoteHandicrafts of India by trading handmade carpets, silk tops, female garments, silver-tone jewelry, custom jewelry, bags, etc.
Some Important Indian Handicraft industry related to Exports
- Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are The biggest Handicrafts of India exports.
- Countries and Continents where Domestic Handicrafts of India are most demanded are Europe, Africa, the United States of America, South America, and China.
- More than 50% of total handicraft export from India are accounted for by Europe and the United States both.
- Stonecraft, woodwork, ceramic, and textile-based handicraft are some examples that are exported worldwide export of handicrafts from India.
The following are the Major Buyers of Handicrafts in India
- The USA is one of the major buyers of hand-printed textiles, Zari woods, Embroidery goods, Imitation jewelry, and Shawls the Indian handicrafts in USA.
- The UK is a client of Handicraft of India and consumes Art wares, Crocheted items, Handmade handicrafts, Wood wares, and Imitation jewelry.
- Germany is commonly known for the purchase of hand-printed textiles, Imitation jewelry, Embroidery items, and Art metals.
There are several initiates taken by the Government of India as well as Private sectors for the promotion and development of Handicraft Export from India. National Handicraft Development Programme(NHDP) consists of various Schemes to develop and promote Handicrafts of India.
So there is a scope of handicraft business in India along with the development of handicrafts export from India and this industry has all the potential to grow fast at the international level.
Top 10 Best Product Export From India
HOW TO BEGIN EXPORT OF HANDICRAFTS FROM INDIA TO USA AND OTHER COUNTRIES
The above text made one thing clear that India is the export hub and Indian artisans have huge demand in the global markets. Those who are involved in the best things to export from India are enjoying higher margins and revenue. If you also want to know the nitty-gritty of becoming the biggest export house in India, pay attention to the below-mention piece of information.
Interested Handicrafts of India exports need to incorporate the export business and get a company PAN card.
The next step to begin exporting from India is registering with the Director-General of Foreign Trade and getting an Import Export Code. It’s a unique 10-digit code that acted as an identification mark for Indian exporters.
Government offers multiple benefits for businesses exporting from India. To avail themselves, one has to register with relevant Commodity Boards and Export Promotion Councils. There are many export councils in India. For instance, the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts and EPCH.
To begin exporting to the USA and other countries, many key documents should be submitted to the respective council. The list of documents includes:
- Company Incorporation certificate
- IEC Code
- Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts registration certificate
- Goods and Service Tax registration for tax purposes
- MSME registration to avail benefits provided by the government
- Trademark registration to protect your brand identity
- Bank account statements and other financial documents
- ID and address proof of the business owners
- Proof of possession of the business premises
Once all the asked documents are submitted, the prospective exporters of India must lookout for a promising buyer or handicraft stores in the USA or other abroad markets. Government agencies are helping find out contacts of handicraft importers in the USA and start seamless sell in the USA from India.
For safe shipment of exporting goods from India, the Indian exporters need to find out a reliable shipping partner. For quick custom clearance and efficient delivery of products from India to the USA, exporters can also take the help of custom housing agencies.
Following the above steps, one can begin a seamless export from India journey.
For any further assistance, contact IMPEXPERTS or call us at +91 9211066888. We are all set to provide detailed insights on export from India.