Introduction

The handicraft industry has seen a major setback in the covid era when the artisans were themselves unsure about their livelihood. It became a big challenge to revive the industry and carry on with the sale. However, with proper management and aid from the government, the industry has shown a major comeback and traders and artisans are reaching out to the consumers through various available avenues. Dhanaay helps one connect with the biggest brands and eases one’s pace to start with their own business. Read on to connect with one of the most friendly financial assistant.

The pandemic had left various stocks available with the artisans, the clearance of which became a major challenge. Shortage of display places, exhibitions and the negligible one to one interaction made it almost impossible for the industry to maintain its pace. As the pandemic also restricted international trade due to travel restrictions, the Handicraft Commissioner under the ministry of textile started organizing domestic market events. These events are aided by the government every year, investing a sufficient amount on various national fairs and events.

The pandemic and the lockdown had allowed the artisans to carve out a niche for themselves and portray their talent in an online mode thereby creating a trend of online selling through their own portals. This was a massive success for those who wanted to develop their own startup businesses. Here, Dhaanay comes to the rescue when stuck with the GST filing process. Check GST Registration Guide to understand the system and make financing easier.

Starting from various thread works, apparels to home decor, rakhis, diyas and so on, the takers of Indian products are on the rise. For decades, the handicraft and handloom industries are home to the rural economy. It remains one of the largest employment sectors after agriculture. This is widely spread and is now an important occupation in various metropolitan cities.

Home to more than 3000 handicrafts and craft forms, Indian artisans work with papier-mache in Jammu and Kashmir, phulkari and bagh textiles in Punjab, brassware in Haryana, zardozi in Uttar Pradesh, ikat in Telangana and so on. To aid them in their financial aspect, Dhanaay takes care of their GST filing and returns to make the process smooth and easier.

Government Initiatives

Although the industry is on the rise, the artisans face a lot of challenges in their productivity. This includes the unavailability of funds, lower technology, absence of market and poor framework for the growth. To support the artisans in such a circumstance, the government has taken up several initiatives which might be discussed as follows:

Ambedkar Hatshilp Vikas Yojana aims to support artisans with the infrastructure and technological aspects. The main aim of it was to facilitate the production of economy and the procurement of raw materials.

Mega Cluster Scheme: This includes the employment generation and improvement in the standard of living of the artisans. It aims to scale the infrastructure in the rural areas.

Marketing Support and Services Scheme: The scheme financially aids in the formation of trade fairs and exhibitions in the country and abroad. Financial assistance is also provided for the social well being of the artisans.

Research and development scheme: This was developed to generate feedback on economic, social and promotional aspects of the artisans with the objective of knowing their difficulties and aiding them better. An in depth study on crafts and their production leads to various surveys and drawing the solution for many aspects. All the above schemes fall under the government National Handicraft Development Programme, implemented by the office of the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts.

The inclusion of various technological innovations has been a boon in the handicraft industry which makes the availability of foreign customers an easy job. The scope of worldwide market expansion has been on the rise as the chances of exports are increasing. Research has proven that the world handicraft market can be worth $ 1091.2 by the year 2024 through the major Indian export.

Conclusion

Though the artisans face numerous challenges in their fields, they accustomed themselves to adapt to the new skills, circumstances and meet the new market demands. Their flexibility on this account has been highly praiseworthy which leads the flourish in the handicraft industry. Going as per the statistics, the handicraft sector has been on the rise in the recent year and would globally compete in no time!