§1How big it is
Textile & apparel exports including handicrafts were USD 37.75 billion in FY25 (handicraft-only figure not confirmed from a primary source)
PIB backgrounder: Union Budget 2026-27 - Strengthening India's Textile Value Chain (4 Feb 2026)
§2Ways to get started
- Aggregator / design studio working with an artisan cluster
- Online store (own site + ONDC/marketplaces) for one craft
- Export sourcing agent for a TEE town
- Craft workshop with PM Vishwakarma-trained artisans
- Corporate gifting with GI crafts
§3Hubs and clusters
- Jodhpur, Jaipur, Barmer (Rajasthan) - handicrafts (Towns of Export Excellence)
- Srinagar and Anantnag (J&K) - handicrafts (TEE)
- Saharanpur (UP) - handicrafts (wood carving) (TEE)
- Firozabad (UP) - glass artware (TEE)
- Bhadohi (UP) - carpets (TEE)
- Agartala (Tripura) - bamboo and cane (TEE)
- Kannur, Karur, Madurai, Kekhra - handlooms (TEE)
- Moradabad (UP) - brassware (well-known; not on DGFT TEE list)
§4Licences and registration
- Artisan identity card (Pahchan) from DC Handicrafts - needed for most scheme benefits
- Weaver identity / registration with DC Handlooms
- India Handloom Brand or Handloom Mark registration (optional, for branding)
- GI authorised user registration if selling a GI-tagged craft (optional)
- RCMC from EPCH / Carpet EPC / HEPC for exports
- BIS hallmarking is NOT needed unless gold/silver articles
- Udyam Registration (MSME) - free, online, PAN + Aadhaar based
- GST registration (mandatory above turnover threshold or for inter-state supply / e-commerce sale)
- Shops & Establishment registration or Factory Licence (Factories Act / state rules) depending on size and power use
- Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from the State Pollution Control Board - category (Red/Orange/Green/White) as per CPCB 2025 harmonised list; White category is exempt from consent
- IEC (Importer Exporter Code) from DGFT if you import or export
§5Regulators
- Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles
- Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles
- Handloom Mark / India Handloom Brand
- GI registry (for GI-tagged crafts)
§6Government help
- National Handicraft Development Programme (NHDP)
- Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS)
- National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP - handloom)
- Raw Material Supply Scheme (yarn to handloom weavers, 2021-22 to 2025-26)
- PM Vishwakarma (for 18 traditional trades: toolkit, credit, training)
- Weavers' MUDRA / concessional credit
- Handloom Weavers' Comprehensive Welfare Scheme
- ODOP
- Cross-sector schemes that also apply (detailed in the programmes file): Udyam benefits, PMEGP, PM Mudra Yojana, CGTMSE credit guarantee, Stand-Up India, MSE-CDP (cluster development), RAMP, MSME ZED and Lean certification, MSME Champions, TReDS, Startup India (SISFS seed fund, Fund of Funds, CGSS), RoDTEP, EPCG, Advance Authorisation, Districts as Export Hubs, ODOP (One District One Product)
§7For exports
- EPCH - Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts
- Carpet Export Promotion Council
- HEPC - Handloom Export Promotion Council
§8Pros and cons
Merits
- Many dedicated schemes and free exhibition stalls (Dilli Haat, crafts melas) via DC Handicrafts
- Very low capital entry; artisan identity cards unlock benefits
- GI tags and ODOP give ready brand stories
Demerits
- Official export and employment numbers are scattered and conflicting across sources (.)
- Artisans' volumes are small and quality uneven - hard to meet bulk export orders
- Fragile products: packing and logistics cost is high
- Copies by machine-made goods undercut prices