The 56th edition of The Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF) 2023, which is scheduled to begin from October 12, will focus on sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle products, said organisers at a curtain raiser event on Tuesday.
Also known as the autumn edition of IHGF, the five-day exhibition will be held at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida till October 16. The event will host over 3,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries, showcasing over 2,000 products in 16 categories, such as handicrafts, home decor, furnishing, and houseware.
According to the organisers, the B2B (business to business) fair will be open to overseas buyers, buying and sourcing consultants, and large domestic volume retail buyers. Over 5,500 buyers have registered for the fair so far.
Raj K Malhotra, chairman, Exports Promotion Council of Handicrafts, which is organising the fair, said the council has started holding awareness seminars for handicrafts manufacturers to inform them about the carbon footprint of each product they make and how to reduce it.
“Sustainability continues to be at the forefront of our product offerings at the fair. Small as well as large scale manufacturers are being urged by EPCH to reduce their carbon footprint in order to focus on an eco-friendly products,” he said.
He added that exhibitors will be showcasing cotton and jute lifestyle accessories, hand-painted artisanal apparel using natural colourants, quilling crafts using waste cloth with paper, fashion accessories made from plant fibres, ahimsa (non-violent) silk items, bamboo flasks and bamboo straws, cane and bamboo home decor items and floor mats, among a wide range of eco-friendly products.
Rakesh Kumar, director general, EPCH, and chairman, India Exposition Mart Limited, said, “This time, there is renewed focus on sustainable and eco-friendly crafts created with materials and processes that are environment friendly. Since more and more people are making a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint, we have organised a panel discussion and product gallery on sustainable and recycled products to show our commitment to these principles.”
A furniture exclusive show will debut simultaneously with the IHGF this year.
“Furniture is a segment that is seeing growing scope as more and more markets overseas are offering more home and lifestyle products from India. Exhibitors are manufacturers of furniture, woodcraft and other allied products. They are from all major manufacturing hubs such as Saharanpur, Bhopal, Moradabad, Delhi and Jaipur. The intent is to create a single destination to find furniture styles from all over India, besides major manufacturing hubs and clusters,” said Naresh Bothra, president of fair reception committee, IHGF.
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