THE IIS UNIVERSITY

PROJECT ON
HANDICRAFT
SECTOR IN RAJASTHAN
FTM 503

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

DR. SHILPIE ARSHDEEP KAUR

CHAKARBORTHY IISU/2019/ADM/31175

YASHVI BOHRA
IISU/2019/ADM/30098
 TABLE OF CONTENT
S.No TOPIC

1 Acknowledgment
2 Introduction

3 Crafts of Rajasthani attires and Ornaments

4 Current status of the handicraft sector

5 Recent Developments

6 Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts

7 Problems faced by Handicraft Industry

8 Latest News Related to Sector

9 Schemes given by Government of Rajasthan

10 Conclusion

11 References
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to our

teacher Dr. Shilpie Chakraborthy who gave us the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful project on topic “HANDICRAFT
SECTOR IN RAJASTHAN” which also helped us in doing a lot of
research and we came to know about so many new things for
which we are really thankful to her.

Secondly we would also like to thank our parents and friends who
helped us a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time
frame.
 INTRODUCTION
Rajasthan is the largest producer of Handicrafts in India. Tourists visiting
the country always desire to take back souvenirs of Rajasthani handicrafts.
Many bright coloured and patterned crafts of the state are used to adorn
households as interior decor items, whereas the other crafts are products
of utility - items of daily use, garments, accessories and more. Among the
multiple Rajasthani handicrafts are included Jewellery, Textiles,
Handmade Paper, precious and semi-precious
stones and gemstones, Paintings, Leather Craft, Marble Handicrafts and
other handcrafted items of wood, ivory, lac, glass, brass, silver, gold and
more.

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) was established under

Companies Act in the year 1986-87 and is a non-profit organisation, with an
object to promote, support, protect, maintain and increase the export of
handicrafts. It is an apex body of handicrafts exporters for promotion of
exports of Handicrafts from country and projected India's image abroad as
a reliable supplier of high quality of handicrafts goods & services and
ensured various measures keeping in view of observance of international
standards and specification. The Council has created necessary
infrastructure as well as marketing and information facilities, which are
availed both by the members exporters and importers. The Council is
engaged in promotion of handicrafts from India and project India's image
abroad as a reliable supplier of high quality handicrafts.
The handicraft sector, spread across several districts of Rajasthan produce
a variety of products of which significant amount is getting exported.

Crafts of Rajasthani attires and Ornaments

The handicraft sector, spread across several districts of Rajasthan produce
a variety of items of which a significant amount is getting exported. The
items are as follows:

The appealing plethora of Rajasthani handicrafts encompasses Jewellery,

a very essential fragment of Rajasthani attires, in many unique styles and
designs that tend to vary with regions. Jewellery from Rajasthan is elegant
and ornate, mostly worn by the Rajputs and royalty, as well as simple and
chunky worn by the tribes. Rajasthani men too often don ornaments like
chokers and earrings. The extensive mining in the Aravalli range in
Rajasthan makes the state a noted export centre of semi-precious
stones. Meenakari and Kundan designs are native to the state. Lac
bangles are also very famous.

 Rajasthani crafts

The most fabulous state in India not only offers breathtaking tourist
attraction but is also famous for its shopping activities. Popularly called the
'Treasure trove of Indian handicrafts', the state offers perfect shopping
opportunity. The handicrafts and arts of the land are marked with an
exuberance of colour and culture and are held in high regard all over the
world. Besides foreign revenue, these crafts pieces have earned state and
the country immense esteem and admiration.
  Textile
Rajasthan produces some exquisite Textiles in lovely colourful fabrics.
Bandhani or Bandhej are two such gorgeous forms that portray the rich
culture of Rajasthan. There is tie and dye work from Jodhpur, the distinctive
native hand-block fabrics of Sanganer and Bagru villages around Jaipur
and the 'lehariya' prints from the villages around Udaipur. Contemporary
designs and perfectness of the finish of the Rajasthan product has become
more lucrative to the buyers.

 Jewellery

In Jewellery, meenakari is one of the most attractive and popular forms,

which are mostly enamelled gold and silver jewellery. The tradition of
'Minakari' and 'Kundan' work in gold reached an all time high in enamel
jewellery centres like Bikaner, Ravishing designs of ornate Rajasthan
decoratives truly complements the home decor and eyes of the viewers.
Minakari jewellery is very famous here. Jaipur the princely city of this state
is famous for precious and semi-precious stones.
  Carpets & Durries
Most of these carpets, which come in stunning designs, are made and
knotted by hands. In addition, the cotton durries of Jodhpur and Jaipur are
also appealing. You can also buy colourful and durable carpets and durries
which are available here in various designs and sizes. The woolen carpets
of Jaipur, Tonk and Bikaner are very famous.

 Rajasthani Quilts

In the list of innumerable Rajasthani crafts, the Rajasthani Quilts also

proudly features. You can get a lot of them in Jaipur. The place in
Rajasthan most famous for quilts is Jaipur. The specialty of these quilts is
that they are of high quality and are as light and soft as a feather. They are
available in a number of varieties like cotton block printed, velvet printed,
etc.
  Mojaris or Jutis

Leather items like Mojaris or Jutis from Rajasthan is a craft form that is
extremely popular across the country as well as around the world.
Mojris/Jutis are Rajasthani footwear made up of leather and having
exquisite embroidery. The pattern and design of embroidery varies from
region to region. However Jaipur and Jodhpur are the places most famous
for mojris.

 Rajasthan Paintings

These including murals, frescoes and miniature paintings are also other
popular crafts of the state. The 'pichwai' was a cloth hanging or backdrop to
the deity Krishna, painted in bold colours. 'Phads' or scroll paintings relate
the tales of the Bhopa folk hero Pabuji. Contemporary designs and
perfectness of the finish of the Rajasthan product has become more
lucrative to the buyers.

 Blue Pottery Craft

Blue pottery makes use of quartz, along with sodium sulphate, multani mitti
(clay) and raw glaze. It is a Persian art form, first introduced in the state by
Maharaja Ram Singh. The most known place for blue pottery in Rajasthan
is Jaipur. Pottery tradition of Jaipur is translated into its various hues of
blue pottery which is made from crushed quartz. The mention of Rajasthan
handicrafts is incomplete without the mention of blue pottery. It originated in
Persia and it is different because of the colours and raw materials used in
it.

 Ivory Bangles
Ivory bangles of Rajasthan and Rajasthan Paintings including murals,
frescoes and miniature paintings are also other popular crafts of the state.
The hard, smooth, yellowish-white substance forming the teeth and tusks of
certain animals, such as the tusks of elephants and walruses and the teeth
of certain whales. Ivory is composed of dentin. A hard white substance that
is a variety of dentin, ivory makes up the tusks of such animals as
elephants, walruses, and preserved mammoths.

 Wooden Furniture

Rajasthani wooden furniture is something that you cannot leave when

discussion Rajasthani handicrafts.
Rajasthan is not only known for its desert but wood work also. The
existence of jungles in some parts of Rajasthan like Jaipur, Banswara,
Kota, and Udaipur have opened plenty of opportunities. We are flexible
enough to offer the finest and best in class Teak Wood Furniture; we are a
leading Supplier in this domain.
Wooden crafted tables are made using best quality wood sourced from the
reliable vendors of the industry.
 Current status of the handicraft sector
Indian Handicraft industry serves an important role in the development of
economy of the rural masses and earns substantial foreign exchange. The
major handicraft hubs in India are Moradabad, Jaipur, Saharanpur and
Jodhpur. Collectively, Handicraft industry employed (directly and indirectly)
about 1 million people. Handicrafts Exporters from India have an edge
against its competitors like China, Philippines, etc. who generally produce
machine-made products whereas Indian handmade products are more
popular all over the world, courtesy, their exclusive designs and talented
workmanship.

Government of India increased incentive rates under the merchandise

export from India scheme (MEIS) to 7% from 5% for handicraft items which
will help exporters to recover the input costs involved in the production of
handicrafts and will lead to competitive pricing and boost export.

India is home to >3,000 craft forms with artisans, spread across the
country, working with papier-mâché in Jammu and
Kashmir, thangka painting in Ladakh and Himachal
Pradesh, phulkari and bagh textiles.
Rajasthan govt to bring handicrafts from unorganised to organised sector,
provide training to workers.
With this wide range of craft skills and the number of artisans in the
country, India has the potential to make this sector a multi-billion-dollar
industry. Handicraft exports from India reached Rs. 25,706 crore (US$ 3.5
billion) in 2019–20.

The government is actively working towards developing the sector to

maximise its potential. Artisans face challenges such as inaccessibility of
funds, low penetration of technology, absence of market intelligence and
poor institutional framework for growth. In addition, the sector is plagued by
implicit contradiction of handmade products, which are typically at odds
with scale of production. To overcome these challenges, the government
has launched several initiatives and schemes.

The handicrafts sector is of importance to the Indian economy as it is one

of the largest employment generators and account for a significant share in
the country’s export. The state and regional clusters contribute significantly
to handicrafts export. The Indian handicrafts industry is fragmented with
more than seven million regional artisans and over 67,000 exporters/export
houses promoting regional art and craftsmanship in the domestic and
global markets.

Handicraft export from India of various segments during April 2020 to

March 2021 stood as below:
 Woodwares at US$ 845.51 million
 Embroidered & crocheted goods at US$ 604.38 million
 Art metal wares at US$ 468.66 million
 Handprinted textiles and scarves at US$ 339.03 million
 Imitation jewellery at US$ 186.65 million
 Miscellaneous handicrafts at US$ 826.68 million
Indian handicrafts are exported across geographies, with the top 10
destinations being the US, the UK, the UAE, Germany, France, Latin
American countries (LAC), Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Australia.

Recent Developments

Government of India increased incentive rates under the merchandise

export from India scheme (MEIS) to 7% from 5% for handicraft items which
will help exporters to recover the input costs involved in the production of
handicrafts and will lead to competitive pricing and boost export.

To support the local artisans and weavers ahead of the festive season,
Amazon.in has announced Handicrafts Mela from September 26, 2020 to
October 10, 2020, which will help over 8 lakhs artisans and weavers in the
countries.
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is the apex
Government body and operates under the administrative control of the
Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. EPCH has the distinction of being
considered a ‘model council’, a self-sustaining body that self-finances all its
promotional activities.

Problems Faced By Handicraft Industry

A throat cutting competition is faced by the artisans who are engaged in
handicraft market. The process of globalization has created opportunities
for the developing world to compete with the developed and make a dent in
selected domains. For example, in earning foreign exchange through
exports in the handicraft sector. On the other hand it has also posed a
large number of problems and challenges. The globalization process has
made its impact on the choices of the products, and therefore many of
these requirements cannot be ignored by the manufactures. These
demands of globalization when comes home to the tradition bound
manufacturers who are very resistant to accept changes in their traditional
modes of functioning, cause problem. Also, these new demands tend to
alter with the royalty and originality of handicrafts. Bhatnagar and Rai have
also reported (2008-09) that globalization is an important factor affecting
handicraft development in Rajasthan in their study1.Vaijayanti (2011) has
also pointed out that globalization is creating a difficult competitive
environment for craftsman to cope with the global demands.

Low education
Mostly tribes are involved in this profession and literacy percentage is low
in these people. This is the root of all problems faced by artisans of
handicraft. In recent report of DASRA (2013), it is clearly stated that nearly
all problems faced by craftsman is outcome of low literacy level in them.
Mahesh Prasad. (2002), has also found that uneducated craftsman have
suffered more of all things in handicraft industry.

Lack of skilled labour

The development and popularity of handicraft industry in Jaipur has led
to lack in availability of skilled labour. Youngsters entering this field
experience low accessibility to the programs run by government due to lack
of education among them. AIACA in its successive reports in the years
2009, 2010, 2011 and in the year 2006 has investigated the root problems
of handicraft sector and reported that handloom, hand-woven sectors are
more penalised because of lack of skilled labour.

Lack of financial support

Most of the people engaged in handicraft work are facing lack of capital
and credit of loans and other funding. In country like
India mostly tribal communities have opted handicraft as their occupation
and are depending on it completely for income and development. In the
past decade government has introduced new schemes for this
community but these are not completely
accessible by these people. Economic Review (2003-2004) has also
published an analytical article pointing problems of small
scale industries.
Lack of information
Being uneducated these people are not linked with the information
channel properly and remain unaware of the recent advancements and
techniques in their field. Though government has introduced some easy
loan plans and financial schemes for this group in its recent five year plan
but because of improper information channel and linkage they are unaware
of these plans to avail them. Government negligence available records
clearly indicate that in the past century artisans are neglected by
central and state government due to unavailability of proper records
regarding their numbers, social and economic status. The schemes
designed for artisans are providing low priority to the skilled labourers in
terms of execution and assessment. Lack of interest of youth second
generation or youngsters of artisans are not taking interest in their
profession because of less availability of financial growth and declination
in this sector.

Latest news related to sector

Rajasthan govt to bring handicrafts from unorganised

to organised sector, provide training to workers
Jaipur (Rajasthan): The Rajasthan industries department will bring the
handicraft sector from the unorganised to the organised sector and take
initiatives such as providing e-marketing and skill training, according
to Rajasthan Commissioner of Industries and Special Secretary Archana
Singh.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "Initiatives have been taken by the Industries
Department to bring handicrafts into the mainstream within Rajasthan so
that the handicrafts industry within Rajasthan can be taken to the country
level and abroad as well."
"Those people doing work in the unorganised sector will be brought to the
organised sector so that their designs and craft can be sold throughout the
country and abroad as well," she added.
When we talk about handicrafts of Rajasthan, there are about 70 different
types of handicrafts that originated from Rajasthan and are doing excellent
work in the rural and remote areas.
"There are about 70 different types of handicrafts that have originated
from Rajasthan, which are doing excellent work in the rural and remote
areas. They are doing so well, although, in the unorganized sector. All of
them will be added to the organized sector. They will also get the right
training so that similar handicrafts can go to the country and abroad," said
Singh.

The administration is also planning to come up with a separate budget

provision for handicraft works and prompting to give e-marketing to the
locals associated with the work to expand the reach of Rajasthan's
handicraft work.
"There will also be a separate provision for the budget and a museum of
handicrafts would also be built in coming days. So that only those who
come can know what kind of handicraft work is being done
inside Rajasthan. We have planned to do this with area specification, as
well as work will be done through the institutes, in-house work will be
promoted and e-marketing training will also be given. So that the people
doing handicraft work in the villages can also sell their goods through the
Internet. They will be taught skills so that they can get better options," she
added. (ANI)

75 artisans from India display handicrafts at

Rajasthan Haat
Rajasthan Haat, an initiative by the Government of Rajasthan, is hosting an
event, Craft Bazaar, inaugurated at Jal Mahal, will host 75 craftsmen from
various states till February 4. The event is being organized in collaboration
with the Indian government and the Rajasthan government so promote
handicraft in the desert state.
Archana Singh, Commissioner of industries, Govt of Rajasthan
inaugurating the Craft Bazaar said,” The handicraft industry has a
significant contribution to the economy of the country. It is our duty to
motivate our closed ones by offering handicraft products of high quality to
the public, especially during the festivals and special occasions.”
Exhibitions and fairs are organised by the state and central Government
from time to time to promote handicraft products. Due to Covid-19, these
efforts were put to rest for some time, but now they are being re-organised
with safety and precaution. In this series, iconic handicrafts from Orissa,
Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi are on sale.
Pramila Rawat, an artisan of Uttar Pradesh said, “My passion has being
sewing Chikankari Lucknowi kurtis, sarees and kurtas for the last 5-6 years.
I have been associated with many exhibitions and programs of the
Rajasthan Government. I am also offering free skill classes on chikankari
lucknowi, where I have over 400 women artisans. Learning these skills will
give them opportunity to become independent. In the craft bazaar I have
already received more than 2000 orders.”

Handicrafts industry seeks separate policy

Jaipur: Rajasthan has more than 1 lakh handicraft units including those run
by rural artisans, serving as a source of livelihood for over 7 lakh people. Of
the Rs.25,000 crore handicrafts exports revenue in the country, Rajasthan
accounts for about Rs. 8,000crore, about 30% of the total shipments.

But the state has no policy to support the sector. The industry wants the
state budget to spell out a broad vision for the industry that is facing stiff
competition from aggressive strategies of state government like Uttar
Pradesh.

“With a defines policy, dedicated setup, and designated officials for

handicraft industry will not help in its growth but to prevent unique crafts
forms from getting extinct. To preserve the languishing crafts which are the
symbols of the state’s heritage” and help artisans stay occupied, a special
package needs to be announced in the budget,” said Dileep Baid, ex-
president of Federation of Rajasthan Handicrafts Exporters (FORHEX).

Rajasthan has an age-old tradition of export business for not only being
falling under golden triangle map of international tourist but also for its
craftsmanship in handicraft, reflecting the heritage of the state which has
international recognition.

Baid said to revive the sector which has been severely hit by the pandemic,
the state needs to set up a design university. Besides, electricity rates
should be offered at concessional rates to export oriented units.

“Group medical insurance policy for manpower engaged in soft good units,
establishment of integrated handicraft parks and raw material banks on
PPP model, common facility at central government and private level
handicraft marts at prominent tourist places would go a long way in building
a vibrant sector,” added Baid.
The existing Handicraft policy of the state is a part of MSME industrial
policy, revolving around the functioning of IICD & RSIC. ‘A well-defined
policy will make it reach artisans at spread across the state.” he said.

Schemes Given By Government Of

Rajasthan

Artisan Identity Card Scheme

The card facilitates easier identification of the artisans. It also acts as an
official proof of their identity when they deal with various government
schemes related to skill training, access to credit, marketing, and
insurance, among other things. All artisans and craft workers are eligible to
apply for the card. It carries the photograph of the artisan and denotes the
craft he/she is engaged in. This card is issued free of cost.

Leather Training Scheme

There's a scheme named “Charma Prashikshan Yojana” in English it is

“Leather Training Scheme” which has the main objective of bringing this
occupation into main stream and bring advancement in this field. With all
such facilities, there will be definitely a better well trained person who'll be
working into this stream. The scheme was started in the year 1990 and
since then it made many youths trained for different leather related jobs like
manufacturing leather footwear, leather toys and nagra juti with the help pf
latest technology.

Comprehensive Handicraft Cluster Development

Scheme
 Under Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme 9 mega
Clusters have been sanctioned that are, Moradabad, Narsapur, J&K
Srinagar Carpet, J&K other than carpet, Lucknow, Bareilly, Jodhpur,
Mirzapur-Bhadohi, and Kutchh-Bhuj. In Rajasthan Jodhpur falls under this
scheme as one of the mega clusters. Under this scheme, the
artisans/exporters/Manufacturers are provided good quality raw material at
subsidized rates (lower than market price) to enhance their
competitiveness globally. The Government is also providing financial
assistance for setting up Mega clusters to create world-class infrastructure
to integrate the production chain by filling the gaps to fulfil the felt needs of
the existing clusters and to increase production/exports and to generate
employment opportunities in the textile industry.

Market assistance scheme for handicraft

artisans

Under this scheme the state government tends to provide all the market
assistance to handicraft artisans in the state in order to support them
through infrastructure, training, promotion and financial assistance.

UPCOMING NEW POLICY: In a bid to lend fresh boost to its handicrafts

sector, the state industries department is working on a new policy with focus
ranging from capacity building, handholding, and infrastructure development
to branding and marketing. Reviving languishing crafts, providing social
security to artisans, creating Handicraft villages and parks are also included
as thrust areas in the draft policy circulated for stakeholder suggestions and
inputs. In handicrafts, we already have an edge in the country but there is
huge scope for growth. Branding, promotion and finding new markets are as
important as creating appropriate ecosystem in terms of empowering the
artisans and giving them the right infrastructure. The objective of the policy is
to give a comprehensive push to the sector that is not only highly labour
intensive but also part of the state’s vibrant heritage.

CONCLUSION
So with this we conclude that as Rajasthan is the largest producer
of Handicrafts in India, tourists visiting the country desire to take back
souvenirs of Rajasthani handicrafts. Many bright coloured and patterned
crafts of the state are used in households as interior decor items, whereas
the other crafts are products of utility - items of daily use, garments,
accessories and more.

There are many Rajasthani handicrafts like jewellery, textiles, precious

and semi-precious stones and gemstones, paintings, etc and other
handcrafted items of wood, ivory, lac, glass, gold and more.

Indian Handicraft industry serves an important role in the development of

economy of the rural area and earns substantial foreign exchange. The
major handicraft hubs in India are Moradabad, Jaipur, Saharanpur and
Jodhpur.

The government is actively working towards developing the sector to

maximise its potential. Artisans face challenges such as inaccessibility of
funds, low penetration of technology, absence of market intelligence and
poor institutional framework for growth. In addition, the sector is plagued by
implicit contradiction of handmade products, which are typically at odds
with scale of production.

Government of India increased incentive rates under the merchandise

export from India scheme (MEIS) to 7% from 5% for handicraft items which
will help exporters to recover the input costs involved in the production of
handicrafts.

The Government of Rajasthan has also given some schemes like Artisans
Identity Card Scheme, Leather Training Scheme, Comprehensive
Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme, Market assistance scheme for
handicraft artisans and new scheme is also being introduced for reviving
languishing crafts, providing social security to artisans and
creating handicraft villages.

To overcome the problems faced by the artisans like low education, lack of
skilled labour, lack of financial support and information we need to give
proper training, proper education as well as financial assistance to the
artisans for their development and for the economy as well. We should
make them aware of recent scheme and initiative taken by the government
by giving them updated with the appropriate information and schemes.
We can also help them with the recent advance technologies, promotional
idea and strategies.
REFERENCES
 http://www.rajasthantourstoindia.com/handicraft-in-rajasthan
 https://kuberhandicraft.com/rajasthani-handicrafts-a-symphony-of-art-
history-and-culture/
 https://truerajasthan.com/traditional-handicrafts-of-rajasthan/
 https://www.indianetzone.com/78/handicrafts_rajasthan.htm
 https://industries.rajasthan.gov.in/content/industries/
handmadeinrajasthandepartment.html
 https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/rajasthan-govt-
to-bring-handicrafts-from-unorganised-to-organised-sector-provide-
training-to-workers20210701204834
 https://m.timesofindia.com/city/jaipur/handicrafts-industry-seeks-
separate-policy/amp_articleshow/81097677.cms
 https://rrjournals.com/past-issue/an-analysis-of-problems-faced-by-
handicraft-sector-in-jodhpur-rajasthan/
 https://govinfo.me/leather-training-scheme/
 https://www.google.com/search?
q=Artisan+Identity+Card+Scheme&sxsrf=AOaemvL4jG9TeXZZyz7YL
CCqfeGsjK6BwQ
 %3A1639593279551&source=hp&ei=PzW6YZ6YH6aP4-EPlf-B-
AM&iflsig=ALs-
wAMAAAAAYbpDT4Y2A1ULeU3CYrv6ytz78leB4Eav&ved=0ahUKE
wjes4H4uOb0AhWmxzgGHZV_AD8Q4dUDCAc&uact=5&oq=Artisan
+Identity+Card+Scheme&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyCAghEBYQHR
AeUABYAGD-
B2gAcAB4AIABdogBdpIBAzAuMZgBAKABAqABAQ&sclient=gws-
wiz
 https://govinfo.me/leather-training-scheme/ - :~:text=There's a
scheme named “Charma,bring advancement in this field.&text=With
all such facilities, there,be working into this stream.
 https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/jun/20/handicraft-
export-blooms-inuttar-pradesh-haryana-and-rajasthan-as-restrictions-
ease-overseas-2318740.html