Top Japanese Design Organizations join hands Indian Handicrafts Design Team to tap Japan market

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, boasts of amazing market for Indian handicrafts. It holds great promises for Indian handicrafts industry along with a potential to bring substantial foreign revenue to India .

With an eye on expanding its market base and extending the warmth of Indian traditional handicrafts in Japan, a core team of the National Centre for Design and Product Development (NCDPD) an apex Organization of Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India responsible for the design & product development for the handicraft sector visited Tokyo and Osaka from June 15-23, 2010. Based on the concept of focus market focus product , NCDPD envisaged policy of joining hands with the leading design institutions and designers of the specific regions.

The NCDPD aims to add more items on the export list based on the consumers of the specific market, thereby increasing the market share for Japan. And with this aim, the team took a study tour to different design houses that helped the members feel the market pulse and understand new trends followed today. Lack of knowledge of the latest trend can come in the way of the beauty and the admirer, destroying the chances of spreading the hold in the market.

India’s export business to Japan is still in its nascent stage despite huge potential and likings. In 2009-10, India exported handicrafts worth Rs 201.65 crore ($42.33 million) to Japan, registering a 7.64 per cent increase from 2008-09. Japan has a vast market to be explored and tapped unlike the US and European countries where the vibrancy and glory of Indian craft have spread far and wide apturing 29% & % share of the total handicraft exports. Today Indian Handicraft products are no longer confined to decorative items or gifts. Over the years, they have diversified and made their way to become a part of utility items, including lifestyle products. For instance, handicraft jewellery today is not just an ornament, it is a style statement.

To understand the tastes and likings of the Japanese market in detail, the team also met top Japanese designers who in turn agreed to offer their expertise while designing Indian crafts for the Japanese market. The interaction will help the NCDPD undertake product diversification to cater to the preferences of the target buyers as market-driven design is the need of the hour. Getting inputs from renowned designers will surely add more sheen to the products, thus increasing India’s chance of generating more foreign exchange from Japan.

To take a closer glimpse of the Japanese art, the team visited Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation (JIDPO), Asean–Japan Centre (Trade Division), Japan External Trade Organisation, Japan Industrial Design Association, Ishida Co. Ltd, Osaka International Business Promotion Centre (International Affairs Dept.), Osaka Design Centre, Culture Resource Research Centre, Osaka Design Forum Execution Committee.

To help develop stronger ties between the two countries, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between the NCDPD and the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization ( JIDPO ) ,Ministry of International Trade & Industry Govt. of Japan for future bilateral international cooperation and collaborative affiliations in design-led crafts and creation of responsive industries in the service of the needy communities. The team was led by Shri Sanjay Agarwal Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Shri Rakesh Kumar Executive Director Export Promotion Council For Handicrafts (EPCH) and Shri R.K. Srivastava Executive Director , NCDPD.

National Centre for Design & Product Development(NCDPD), New Delhi & Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO), Tokyo, Japan signed MOA at Tokyo, Japan on 16th June, 2010 for working together for design & product development in the handicrafts sector.