By Ranjana Narayan SPANNING THE gulf between village homes and snazzy boutiques in fashion capitals of the world, Indian handicrafts are going places in all their bewildering variety - a multibillion-dollar industry as diverse as India itself. From furniture to fabric and baubles to bags, the world of Indian handicrafts in all its bejewelled, embroidered avatars covers them all with patterns, techniques and textures changing with every region of this vast country. To take just embroidery itself, there's the vibrant mirror work of Kutch in western India, the light, feathery stitches of northern Kashmir as well as the famed shadow work of chikan workers in Lucknow. And then there are hand-knotted carpets, jewellery, ceramics, block prints, paintings, furniture, weaving... an endless list of products painstakingly crafted by hand and differing with every state in the country. It all adds up to an industry where exports (other than hand-knotted carpets) have risen to 130.32 billion rupees ($2.8 billion) in 2004-05 from a mere 3.87 billion rupees ($85 million) in 1986-87 . a staggering 42 times increase in less than two decades. India's labour-intensive handicrafts industry, basically a cottage industry, is widely dispersed in the country, mainly in rural areas, and is the largest employer in the unorganised sector. Behind the huge industry are six million artisans who create the products that make Indian handicrafts almost as identifiable as the Taj Mahal and just as marketable. There is Chhoti Yadav, for instance, who belongs to Udaipur in India's desert state of Rajasthan. Her skill in embroidering cushions and table linen has brought her out of her sheltered existence and into the marketplace where she confidently hawks her handmade products. Yadav is a member of an NGO called Sadhana (Seva Mandir), which recently took up a stall at Dilli Haat, the permanent handicrafts exhibition market in Delhi. The stall in the national capital provides her the perfect showcase for her stuff. At Dilli Haat, a must see for all foreign and domestic visitors to Delhi, there is always a rush of customers at the stalls selling beautiful 'kantha' stitch embroidered saris and bedcovers, colourful 'bandhni' tie-and-dye dresses, blue pottery vases, Kashmiri shawls and much, much more. Yadav's journey to Dilli Haat begins at her village, where she and other women in her organisation finish housework early so they can get on with their embroidery, a skill she was taught as a child. She has been to several fairs in the country and abroad, including to Pakistan, and says each of the 350 women in Sadhana earn Rs.1,500 to Rs.2,000 a month. It's a whole new life for her compatriots in other parts of the country as well. While the widely travelled Yadav is a picture of assurance, Rama Bai, a shy Lambani tribal from Bellary district in Karnataka is also a self-made entrepreneur. Rami Bai, like many others in her village, travels around three to four kilometres daily by bus from home to reach the workshop of an NGO in Sandur taluka. "I earn 40 rupees (less than a dollar) a day," she says as she displays her embroidery and mirror work on bags and other household articles. The government has done its bit too to give artisans like Rama Bai and Chhoti Yadav an impetus. It has been organising fairs and exhibitions across the country and has consciously sought to link handicrafts with tourism. Though India's share in the world market has not been very significant, this is now set to change with the government and some private bodies making moves to create a brand image to woo international buyers. The US is a major buyer, followed by Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Saudi Arabia, of art metal ware work, crafted woodwork, hand-printed textiles, embroidered work, shawls, zari work and other items. "We are focusing on the brand image promotion of Indian handicrafts, especially in the US, which accounted for almost 30 percent of exports in 2004-05," said Rakesh Kumar, executive director of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), an apex government body for promoting handicrafts exports. "Through the brand image promotion, people in Latin American countries and other places who are not aware of Indian handicrafts will be showcased our products. Throughout 2006 we will hold around 11 shows to woo big buyers," he said. To the challenge from Chinese exports, Kumar said: "India has witnessed an average growth of more than 15 percent in less than 10 years. We have a certain edge over China as we supply specially crafted items in only small quantities. The Chinese manufacture in bulk and cannot match our skill and artisanship." The EPCH, which organises international trade fairs and buyer and seller meets, has set up a permanent handicrafts mart in Greater Noida, just outside the national capital, for international marketing. While the EPCH is going all out to boost exports, an NGO has launched its own initiative to make Indian handicrafts more prominent globally. The Craftmark tag, launched by NGO All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA), was launched Nov 16 and is aimed at giving handicraft products a stamp of quality. "The branding gives the product its distinct identity - that it is a genuine product and not machine made, that it adheres to a certain quality standard and, most important, customers cannot haggle over the price," said AIACA director Adarsh Kumar. The NGO has targeted the US in its first foray overseas. A private firm has been hired to promote Craftmark products for sale in retail stores there, but nothing concrete has taken shape yet. "We are targeting volume sales. Through the Craftmark tag, we are working towards a stage when all Indian handicrafts sold abroad will be under one brand name," said Kumar. AIACA, which represents organisations in the handloom and handicrafts sector, has around 70 NGOs affiliated to it besides wellestablished names in the handicraft industry like Fabindia, Ritu Kumar and Anokhi. With branding, Kumar promises that Indian handicrafts sales will soar further. And then more Chhoti Yadavs and Rama Bais can move out of their village homes and out into the world - on the strength of just their skills.