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Rajasthani furniture makers eye Chinese drawing rooms
New Delhi, Oct 22: If Chinese goods are flooding Indian markets, now Rajasthani furniture is capturing the Chinese homes as the latter suddenly seem to have developed a liking for the handcrafted furniture.
New Delhi, Oct 22: If Chinese goods are flooding Indian markets, now Rajasthani furniture is capturing the Chinese homes as the latter suddenly seem to have developed a liking for the handcrafted furniture.
From beds to sofa sets, chairs, tables, wooden almirahs, piano tables, flower vases, all crafted with hand by local artisans from interiors of Rajasthan are being exported to China.
"Wooden furniture products based on the designs used in royal palaces of Rajasthan have suddenly become favourites with Chinese, who want them for their homes, offices, hotels and other places," says Ashok Boob, a Mumbai-based furniture exporter.
But because of constraints on imports from other countries, we can export in limited numbers. The consumer wants Indian handicrafts but because of government restrictions, we can send in very small numbers," says Boob.
However, Rakesh Kumar, executive director, export promotion council for handicrafts says, "The Chinese market is very new to Indian exporters. But we are slowly entering it and trying to make our presence felt, initially through trade fairs and exhibitions." "China is a very big market but at the same time it is very price sensitive. The Chinese products are produced on mass scale, which makes them cheap, compared to ours which are hand crafted. But we have to still keep the costs controlled," says Kumar.
Besides furniture, there is also good market for Indian textiles and zardosi craft work in China, he says.
"Cushion covers, wall hangings, purses, curtains all can be exported but because of price sensitivity, the margins are very less in Chinese markets," says Boob.
"All the furniture is mechanised in China, which hardly has any scope for creativity. Compared to it are our products, each one hand crafted and each piece unique in itself... That is the main reason for their popularity in Chinese markets," says Boob. Besides China, the Rajasthani furniture is also a big hit in European and American markets, says Mangi Lal Das, another exporter.
The furniture is unique as it is based on the designs which were predominantly used in Rajasthani palaces. Thousands of artists in the interiors of the state specialise in crafting the wooden products.
They copy the designs and then produce them in large numbers. All these are made from wood locally available like kadam and sheesham. However, for some products we export the wood from Burma and give to these artisans to design products, says Das.
The journey from interior villages of Rajasthan to far off lands is a long one, but worth the efforts made, says exporters.
Bureau Report
"Wooden furniture products based on the designs used in royal palaces of Rajasthan have suddenly become favourites with Chinese, who want them for their homes, offices, hotels and other places," says Ashok Boob, a Mumbai-based furniture exporter.
But because of constraints on imports from other countries, we can export in limited numbers. The consumer wants Indian handicrafts but because of government restrictions, we can send in very small numbers," says Boob.
However, Rakesh Kumar, executive director, export promotion council for handicrafts says, "The Chinese market is very new to Indian exporters. But we are slowly entering it and trying to make our presence felt, initially through trade fairs and exhibitions." "China is a very big market but at the same time it is very price sensitive. The Chinese products are produced on mass scale, which makes them cheap, compared to ours which are hand crafted. But we have to still keep the costs controlled," says Kumar.
Besides furniture, there is also good market for Indian textiles and zardosi craft work in China, he says.
"Cushion covers, wall hangings, purses, curtains all can be exported but because of price sensitivity, the margins are very less in Chinese markets," says Boob.
"All the furniture is mechanised in China, which hardly has any scope for creativity. Compared to it are our products, each one hand crafted and each piece unique in itself... That is the main reason for their popularity in Chinese markets," says Boob. Besides China, the Rajasthani furniture is also a big hit in European and American markets, says Mangi Lal Das, another exporter.
The furniture is unique as it is based on the designs which were predominantly used in Rajasthani palaces. Thousands of artists in the interiors of the state specialise in crafting the wooden products.
They copy the designs and then produce them in large numbers. All these are made from wood locally available like kadam and sheesham. However, for some products we export the wood from Burma and give to these artisans to design products, says Das.
The journey from interior villages of Rajasthan to far off lands is a long one, but worth the efforts made, says exporters.
Bureau Report