Metallic Application and Surface Ornamentation Dominates the Look at Heimtextil India

Wide-varied range, intricate designs and diverse applications were the salient features of Heimtextil India that was held in Mumbai recently. The fair generated good business opportunities for exhibitors who had some niche products to offer like digital printing, knitted home range, hand block prints and decorative linen and covers. As always handloom products caught good attention of buyers. While on one hand there were exhibitors who received many enquiries and direct orders, on the other some were disappointed with turnaround of buyers and slow pace of business. Traffic of buyers, placement of orders and business opportunities – all three areas were below par at the Heimtextil this year

A long with the consistent participants like Dicitex Furnishings, KKP Fine Linen, Venus Designs and Tracon, some new exhibitors like Best Textiles, Shyam Overseas, Rosy Gee Mills and Intermarket were seen at the fair. On the very first day most of the stands were crowded with buyers and negotiations were simultaneously going on. Ludhiana-based Rosy Gee Mills that displayed a wide range in knitted home furnishing in acrylic and cotton received 50 enquiries on the very first day of fair especially from Japan, UK and Germany-based retailers and wholesalers. “There is a good demand for niche products like knitted cushion covers, blankets for kids’ and woollen throws, moreover, being the only company displaying knitted home furnishings we have got good mileage,” said Kewal Kalra, MD, Rosy Gee Mills.

While the turnaround at the fair was better than the last year, exporters were not happy with the size of the fair that was very small as compared to the previous edition; there were only 53 exporters at the Heimtextil pavilion. “Many buyers who came to our stall complained that they had expected a bigger participation and more number of participants, however, the scenario is completely different,” said Rajnish Gulati, MD, Classic Concepts, a Delhi-based export house that has been participating in the fair for many years. The company displayed a wide range of cushion covers and bed spreads in bright colours at their stall.

IHGF Proves to be a Successful Platform for Exhibito
rs Business Worth Rs 750 Cr Exchanged

Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair, an important platform for artisans, weavers, manufacturers and suppliers of home fashion and handicraft industry, closed on a positive note. The fair serves as a medium for enhancing business opportunities not only for the weavers and artisans at the grass root level and manufacturers in India but also for the buyers from all over the world who are looking at variety and innovations

The 28th edition of IHGF fair that was held in Greater Noida Expo Mart created business opportunities worth Rs. 750 cr according to the official press release of EPCH. More than 3800 foreign buyers from around 45 countries visited the fair during the four-day event. “The handicrafts sector is of highest priority for the Government and the Ministry will try its level best to promote the sector,” said Rita Menon, Secretary Textiles while inaugurating the fair.

Starting on such a promising note the fair ended with optimism. “Despite the recessionary trends in global market, the footfall of overseas buyers was more this year as compared to the previous edition,” informed Raj Kumar Malhotra, Chairman, EPCH. According to Malhotra the Indian handicraft exports market is gradually coming back on track as the exports increased by a whopping 177% in September 2009.