PTI

New Delhi, Dec 1: With the US and European markets facing severe slowdown, India's handicraft exports have been hit hard resulting in job losses for over five lakh workers, industry officials said. "The initial industrial estimates of handicraft exports show a decline of 30% in the April-October period this fiscal," an Export Promotional Council for Handicraft (EPCH) official said. Over one million people are employed in the most affected handicraft clusters of Moradabad, Jaipur, Saharanpur, Jodhpur and Narsapur (Andhra Pradesh).

"40% exporters have closed down their factories and 50% people in the four most affected clusters have lost their jobs," All India Handicraft Board vice chairman Sudhir Tyagi said. Art metal wares, laces, wooden and wrought iron handicrafts, embroidered and crocheted goods had huge buyers in the US, the UK, Germany, Japan and Middle Eastern nations. According to EPCH data, handicraft export in April-September this year declined by 22.10% to $1.04 billion, against $1.34 billion in the same period last year.

"Export orders have almost frozen," Tyagi said adding, "December, especially the Christmas season, is very crucial for buyers abroad, the sale during the festival will decide on further export orders." Last week, commerce secretary G K Pillai had said, five lakh people would lose jobs in the textile sector in the next five months. Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) is a major exporting hub of art metal wares and imitation jewellery, while Saharanpur and Jodhpur are known for wooden, wrought iron and sea shell handicrafts.

These products command big markets in US, Germany, the UK, Italy and Saudi Arabia. Lace and lace goods, which go to the US, the UK, Germany and Canada, are crafted in the Narsapur cluster in Andhra Pradesh.