Handicrafts hold a special place in the Indian home decor market. They belong to the Indian culture since centuries now and have become an integral part of our rich heritage. Despite being highly important, new or trending goods have taken over the traditional handicrafts business, leading to the depletion of handicrafts industry. To protect our heritage of handicrafts, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) has been established that works closely with local artisans to help improve their business.
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is a non-profit organization that promotes, maintains, protects and increases the export of handicrafts in India. The council provides commercially helpful information to members in developing and increasing exports.
Best SME/MSME Loan offers are just a click away Apply Now
EPCH’s activities
Participates in specialized international trade fares organized for the promotion of handicrafts
Interacts between the exporting committee and government at central and state levels
Organizes Indian handicrafts and Gift fairs at New Delhi
Creates awareness through workshops, design development, buyer seller meet and open house
Provides advice and services to members related to areas, such as quality and design improvement, product development and technology upgradation
Organizes abroad visits of its members to explore market opportunities
Helps in the reduction of taxes over the export of handicrafts products
Since the handicrafts business is a crucial part of the local market of India, it is essential to support that in various ways such as:
Citizens: Buying and supporting the local handicraft products. Citizens can also help promote handicrafts at several places nearby their residence or even nationwide
Finance Institutes: Financial institutes, such as banks, NBFCs, and provisional bodies which can help the handicrafts business by providing business loans for the workers indulged in handicraft businesses
Government of India: The Government of India can help the handicrafts industry by making laws which protect and promote handicrafts businesses
Membership Application Process
Follow the steps given below to apply for the membership of EPCH:
Refer to the official website and get all the documents ready. There is a list of documents that one needs to submit along with the membership form
Applicant needs to get the membership form after the payment Rs. 100 through cash/demand draft drawn in favour of Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts payable at New Delhi and fill it up duly with all the information required along with the category for which the membership is required. The membership for EPCH is divided in three categories:
(a) Membership
(b) Registration as a ‘Merchant Exporter’
(c) Registration as a ‘Manufacturer Exporter’
Attach a cheque or demand draft for the membership fees and send it with the application, the fee structure for the membership is as follows:
Entrance fee in the year of enrolment – Rs. 2500/- Annual Memberhsip Fee – Rs. 5000/-
Total (during the year of Enrollment) – Rs 7500/- + GST 18% (Rs. 8850/-)
After the submission of application, the application will be confirmed upon approval
Facilities Offered to Exporters
The EPCH provides several facilities for the handicraft exporters, which makes it an essential part of the handicraft business ecosystem. Some of these facilities are discussed in detail below:
Learning & Development
Learning and development is an essential part of the growth of any skills. The EPCH organizes several skill development programs, workshops, seminars, short term courses, and more. It is for the handicraft exporters to learn and improve their handicraft skills. These programs will help them work more efficiently and produce better quality goods, which will result in increased sales.
EPCH organizes several events and fairs for all the exporters to get together and work towards a common goal. Fairs can be exhibition business expos where the handicraft businesses gain exposure and can come and sell their products. These events can also be meetings and conferences where panel discussions and other programs are held for the exporters to learn from the best in the industry. These events and fairs are essential for the exporters to remain up-to-date with the new happenings in the market and allow them to network with other exporters in the same industry.
Online Services for Members
The EPCH council online portal provides a wide range of services to their members like applying for the upcoming fairs online. The website also has the updates of the latest upcoming events which can be very useful for all the exporters. Members can browse the official website to get an update on recent changes in laws and policies made by the government for handicrafts business.
Research
Along with organizing several workshops and seminars to improve the skills of the handicraft exporters, the EPCH also promotes research in the field of handicrafts production and business. The study is concerned with various factors affecting handicrafts production, such as the safety and health issues faced by an exporter. These researches also give the council the current scenario of the market for handicrafts sales on the global platform, which is necessary to promote the export of handicrafts among several countries.
The researches conducted under the EPCH are then published under the publications run by the council. These publications are available to the disposal of the members who can be updated with the several new findings of the research. Research helps the members to be updated of the variety of changes occurring in the business and also suggests them to adjust with the same.
Resources
Several resources are available at the web portal of EPCH which can be used by the members of the council. These resources include several features study reports of the researches, archives of the board, several useful links and exports data for use by the members. It also provides a detailed description of the handicrafts policies and incentives given by the government. This helps the members to refer to it whenever they need to. There is more information available for the accreditation of the buying agents and the GST and trade agreements which can be done by the handicraft exporters. These resources have proven to be very useful for the handicraft exporters to improve their trading skills and remain updated of the several policies given by the government.
Get Business Loan for Startups at Lowest Interest Rates Apply Now
About EPCH
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) was set up to look into all the matters and services related to the export of handicrafts in India. This council was formed under the Companies Act in the year 1986-87. EPCH is a non-profit organization which looks into maintaining and promoting the art of handicrafts. It is the primary body for the handicrafts exporters. The council provides help to the handicrafts exporters in terms of infrastructure and marketing strategies which will assist them in increasing their export business.
Contact Us
Export Promotion Council For Handicrafts
“EPCH House”, Pocket-6 & 7,
Sector-C, LSC, Vasant Kunj,
New Delhi-110 070, India.
Tel: 91-11-26135256(8 lines)
Fax: 91-11-26135518/19
E-mail: mails@epch.com
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the membership fees for EPCH?
The membership fee for EPCH is divided into two parts:
Entrance Fee – Rs 2500
Annual Membership fee – Rs 5000
Along with the fees mentioned above, the exporter also has to pay 18% GST extra
Q2. What are the categories of the membership I can apply to?
There are three categories of membership one can apply to:
Membership
Merchant exporter
Manufacturer exporter
Q3. Is having a GSTIN number necessary for the membership?
Yes, having a GSTIN number is necessary for the application.
Q4. What is the necessary document required for EPCH’s Membership/Registration?
Importer Exporter Code (IEC) issued by DGFT office is the mandatory document for issuing Registration certificate.
Also Know: What are the documents required for MSME registration?
Q5. How much time does it take to become the registered member of the EPCH?
Within 30 days one can become a member of EPCH.
Q6. Which cities do EPCH has its offices?
EPCH operates via regional or representative offices at Mumbai, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati, Moradabad, Narsapur, Saharanpur, common facility centre at Saharanpur and extension counter at Agra.