NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 10: The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) successfully concluded its 38th Annual General Meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was chaired by Dileep Baid, Chairman of EPCH, in the presence of Neeraj Khanna and Sagar Mehta, Vice Chairmen of EPCH. Leading member exporters also attended the meeting, including Ravi K. Passi, Raj Kumar Malhotra, D. Kumar, Avdesh Agarwal, Naved Ur Rehman, Salman Azam, Ashok Arora, Simrandeep Singh Kohli, Arshad Mir, Najmul Islam, Vishal Agarwal, Parvez Alam, S. K. Goel, J. P. Singh, Deepak Gupta, Rishi Soni, Sandeep Chhabra, Vineet Bhatia, Manu Gulati, Naveen Yadav, R. K. Verma (Executive Director, EPCH), Rajesh Rawat (Additional Executive Director-cum-Secretary, EPCH), and other eminent member exporters from across the country. Dileep Baid briefed the attendees about various activities and initiatives undertaken by the council during 2023–24 to promote handicraft exports from India.
One of the agenda items at the meeting was to fill vacancies in the Committee of Administration. There were three vacancies in the Northern Region and one each in the North-West, Southern, and North-East regions. The House adopted all agenda items, including the election of Committee of Administration members, as informed by R. K. Verma, Executive Director of EPCH.
The newly elected members are: Northern Region: Ravi K. Passi of R. K. Arts, Prince Malik of Osyrus Overseas, and Arshad Hussain Mir of Mir Handicrafts Pvt. Ltd; North-East Region: Jesmina Zeliang of Heirloom Naga, Dimapur; Southern Region: K. N. Tulasi Rao of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa & Co., Narsapur; North-West Region: Dileep Baid of Dileep Crafts Private Limited, Jaipur.
Arshad Hussain Mir, a prominent exporter from Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, is also Chairman of the Handicraft and Carpets Sector Skill Council (HCSSC). With 25 years of experience, he has significantly contributed to the promotion and export of handicrafts from the region. He has been a recipient of National Export Awards multiple times.
Dileep Baid expressed appreciation for the outgoing Committee of Administration member K. L. Ramesh, acknowledging his contributions to the handicrafts trade. He urged members to continue their joint and collaborative efforts to advance the handicrafts sector.
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is a nodal agency dedicated to promoting handicraft exports and creating a global brand for Indian artisans. It represents millions of craftspeople producing home, lifestyle, textiles, furniture, fashion jewelry, and accessories in craft clusters across India. During 2023–24, handicraft exports totaled Rs. 32,759 crores (US $3,956 million), marking a growth of 9.13% in rupee terms and 6.11% in dollar terms compared to the previous year, as informed by R. K. Verma.