15/08/2015
For millions of rural artisans, the market has always been global, whether it is competing for a piece of the export pie or trying to outshine your competition vying for a share of the tourist Dollar/Euro/Pound/Yuan/Whatever.
Yet, the need to maintain product quality at global standards is not always understood by our artisans. It is not enough to dazzle customers with the beauty of our "kaarigari" (workmanship), whether it is our painting, or carving or embroidery. The whole product must ooze quality and beauty. What use is a beautifully carved tables whose legs wobble after a few months?
This requires maintaining high standards throughout the value chain, right from obtaining the best quality raw materials to ensuring high standards in finish and durability. For handicrafts, quality is beauty and even small blemishes can reduce the value of a product. The difficulty is in setting up and operating a high quality value chain.
The devaluation of yuan in the past two days by up to 4% may have created a scare for exporters of handicrafts but the industry believes the tide has turned in favour of India as the largest exporter China battles rising wages and poor quality standards.
