Thirteen countries — Germany, France, Italy, the United States, China, Hong Kong, Turkey, Australia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Egypt and Chile — have been identified by the India as target markets where products like handicrafts, jute, cotton, textiles and apparel can be showcased through exhibitions to increase their visibility and exports.
Product segments identified as per their sales and marketing potential will be displayed in these countries, said quoting the Textiles Ministry. In European nations, the focus will be cotton textiles and handicrafts, Indian apparel will be showcased in the United States and Indian cotton and carpets will be marketed in China.
India is the second largest exporter of textile and apparel in the world with 5 per cent trade share. The Ministry’s Integrated Marketing Plan 2017-18 calls for ‘greater convergence’ among various agencies and focused trade promotion activities to tap new markets. India’s total textiles and apparel exports stood at $39.7 bn in 2016-17. These have remained almost stagnant in the last two years.