The fifth edition of Home Expo India (a buyer-seller meet), a mega triple show organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts closed with visit of 1100 buyers and their representatives from 50 countries who interacted with over 350 exhibitors. For the first time, Home Expo India 2016 — A buyer-seller meet was organised just in permanent marts.
Business enquires worth approximate Rs750 crores have been generated during three days of the buyer-seller meet. Further, Home Expo India 2016 is expected to generate multi level business opportunities including direct import as well as tie- ups, collaborations, alliances and joint ventures for product development, product innovation and international sales in future, said Rakesh Kumar, chairman, India Expo Mart and executive director, EPCH.
Kumar informed that Home Expo India has taken shape over five editions as a strategic sourcing platform to meet India’s leading manufacturer exporters of home textiles, furnishing, furniture, housewares and decorative and allied products as well as artisans and craftspersons from select craft concentration regions.
Home Expo India exhibitors negotiated business with some of the most well-known overseas companies like — Pier 1 Imports, Overstock, Gold Eagle, Prinz, Global Furniture Accessories, lifetime Brands, DJ Direct, Merch Hub llC, (USA), Edelman BV, PT Groep BV Oriental Furniture and More, BTC Regail BVG (The Netherlands), The libra Company, Dress up ltd., Blue Bone Imports ltd, Festive Production ltd. (UK), Kreyenhop & Kluge
GMBH, Dreipunkt International Vertriebs GMBH, Paschen GMBH, Mobel Schwaab, Mobel Baucke, Nemann GMBH (Germany), The rural ling Unit, I love linen Pty ltd., Divano Furniture Pty ltd. (Australia), livins Co. ltd., lonlo, Hankyu Style labels Co. ltd., IKI Co ltd. (Japan), loteim CIA ltd (Ecuador), Xiamen Gold Eagle Artifical Flowers Co ltd. (China), Robert Mark ltd (New Zeeland) Home Box llC, Tarrab Trading Co (UAE), Primavera SP Zoo, Faro S Zielinksi (Poland) and many more from all over the world intimated by Chairman-IEMl and ED – EPCH.
The thematic display of cane and bamboo from North Eastern state as well as state of Uttrakhand were remained one of the main attractions of the Home Expo India 2016. More than 50 Craftpersons, from state of Uttrakhand which has rich tradition of various arts and crafts, had displayed paintings, wood carvings, jewellery, candles, decorative temples, music instruments et al.
The second Mega panel discussion on retail and e-commerce on Beyond trade fairs and exports was also organised during which panelists such as Kumar Rajagoplan, CEO, Retail Association of India, CK Nair, COO, Shopper Stop, Sai Sudershan, CEO, Om Ved, Deevesh Rai, CEO of Wydr, Nitin Jain, INV Home were present to provide the exporters an insight into the market size of online and retail sector in India and presented a wider perspective of India’s retail stature as well as potential of handicrafts exporters to escalate the Indian economy while helping the country in earning foreign exchange.
A seminar on home styles trends update 2017 was also organised during the show in which Tom Mirabile, senior vice president of Global Trend and Design for lifetime brands made the participants of Home Expo to understand the strategy to focus on styles and colours prevalent in the International markets to remain competitive with rest of the world.
Ajay Shankar Memorial awards for best designed and displayed marts were also distributed to the participants in three product categories. The Ajai Shankar Memorial Awards were instituted in the memory of late Ajai Shankar, former development commissioner (Handicrafts).
In Furnishing, Flooring and Textiles category Surya International, New Delhi got the Gold award, Vijay Design Inspiration, Noida got the silver award and Indcraft Exports, Meerut got the bronze award, in Indian Furniture and Accessories category Manjushree Exports, Moradabad got the gold award, JO Exports International, Moradabad got the silver award and Chirag Exports, Noida got the bronze award, In Housewares and decorative category Curio Crafts, Noida got the gold award lTS International, Noida got the silver award and AM Glass International, Firozabad got the bronze award further elaborated Kumar.