EPCH's initiative to enhance India-Vietnam craft trade
Vietnam have traditional skills like India but is more competitive in nature, and have comparatively greater market share. To understand the traditional skills and craftsmanship with usages of technology in making high quality crafts in Vietnam, a high level delegation led by Shantmanu, Development Commissioner [Handicrafts] visited Vietnam from May 18 – 21, 2019. R K Verma, Director – EPCH, Rajesh Jain, Zesmina Zeliang, COA Members – EPCH and other prominent member exporters of EPCH from Moradabad, Agra, Khurja and North Eastern Region consisted the delegation, said Rakesh Kumar, Director General – EPCH.
Vietnam is rich in traditional arts and crafts. The most famous Vietnam handicrafts include cane and bamboo craft, ceramics, stones, natural fibre products, wooden handicrafts, metal craft and silk embroideries. The techniques of manufacturing crafts in Vietnam is very peculiar, high quality and cheaper than anywhere in the world informed, he further informed.
The delegation visited urban lifestyle and interior show at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, Vietnam which showcases products like furniture, handicrafts, gifts, garden accessories, decorative, lifestyle and natural fibre products. The delegation saw various craft products produced as per International demands and customised to the need of the overseas buyers displayed in the show; and also met Nguyen Chanh Phuong, Vice Chairman of Handicrafts and Wood Industry Association (HAWA), Vietnam, the organiser of the show.
Later it met Hoang Chinh Nghia, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Agency for Regional Industry and Trade, Vietnam and also called upon Parvataneni Harish, Ambassador, Embassy of India in Vietnam and discussed the purpose of the visit and way forward for Indian handicrafts exporters.
A meeting with Trinh Quoc Dat, Deputy President of Vietnam Association of Craft Villages (VICRAFTS], an EPCH MOU partner in Vietnam was also held during the visit.
Also, a series of visit to various handicrafts clusters which included ceramics at Bat Trang Ceramics Pottery, Natural Fibre products cluster at Phu Vinh, wood carving cluster at Son Dong, Silk embroidery cluster at Van Phuc, metal casting cluster at Bac Ninh and stone craft cluster at Da Nang took place.
They interacted with the entrepreneurs working at these clusters to see and understand the production processes in these important craft clusters located close to Hanoi.
The visit of high level delegation to Vietnam will help in motivating the handicrafts exporting community to start using technology in production of handicrafts products with techniques being used in Vietnam which will result in enhancing quality of Indian handicrafts as per standards and demands prevalent in the world markets said Rakesh Kumar, DG – EPCH.
