Spring Fair International, 2026 held from February 1-4 concluded successfully at NEC, Birmingham, United Kingdom. The EPCH India Pavilion was inaugurated by Dr. M Beena, DC (Handloom), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India in the august presence of Shri Aman Bansal, Consul Commerce & HOC presently acting as Acting Consul General of India, Shri Nipun Pande, Addl DC (Handloom), Shri Rajesh Jain, Member CoA-EPCH, Prof Patricia Sumod, Fashion Design Dept., NIFT, Mumbai and participating member exporters. India has a great opportunity to display its unparalleled diversity, rich culture and long tradition of arts and crafts on a large stage like Spring Fair International, Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Council has organized participation of member exporters from different parts of the country informed Mr. Rajesh Rawat, Executive Director – EPCH.
Dr. M Beena, DC (Handloom), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India while inaugurating appreciated the continuous efforts of the Council for bringing Indian Handicrafts to the world markets and promotion of handicrafts exports from the country. Dr. M Beena also interacted with member participants and assured all support in future business promotions.
Dr. Neeraj Khanna, Chairman – EPCH said “the Council regularly exhibits at Spring Fair International in Birmingham, UK, which provides insight into the U.K. market’s versatility. With the India UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), progressive tariff reductions, simpler rules of origin and customs facilitation will brings confidence and predictability to buyer–seller conversations translating into lower costs, quicker clearances, smoother compliance and the headroom for UK retailers to scale multi-season products, private labels and design collaborations with Indian suppliers.
Dr. Khanna further added “India’s participation in Spring edition added vibrancy and diversity to the fair, as well as familiarise global manufacturers, retailers, and brands with the robust entrepreneurship in the Indian textiles, home furnishing and consumer products industries, opening up opportunities for sourcing from India.”
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director General in the role of Chief Mentor, EPCH & Chairman IEML, shared that «In our pursuit of excellence, Expo Bazaar is dedicated to fostering a direct connection between buyers and small producers in the remote clusters of India. Our Just in Time (JIT) business model has streamlined our entire supply chain management, supported by 4 dedicated B2B showrooms and 3 online marketplaces across UK, EU & USA. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to translate the India–UK and India – EU Trade Agreements into on-ground opportunities for MSMEs and artisan-based enterprises.»
On the sidelines of Spring Fair International, 2026, EPCH also organized an Interactive Session on the theme “India – The Profitable Destination for Handicrafts Sourcing”. Present during the session were Dr. Neeraj Khanna, Chairman EPCH; Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director General in the role of Chief Mentor, EPCH & Chairman, IEML; Shri Avdhesh Agarwal, Chief Convenor EPCH; Shri Rajesh Kumar Jain, Member of Committee of Administration, EPCH. The session brought together global buyers, sourcing professionals and Indian handicraft exporters to explore opportunities, discuss market trends, and highlight India’s position as a trusted partner in the global handicrafts value chain. Senior dignitaries, trade experts and leading exhibitors deliberated on how India’s diverse product range, sustainable practices and artisanal excellence continue to make it one of the most attractive sourcing destinations worldwide informed Shri Rajesh Rawat, Executive Director, EPCH.
Shri Rawat further added that “United Kingdom being one of the major markets in the world has a vast potential for handicraft and gifts items. In this edition, council is participating with 5 member exporters displaying Home Textiles & Furnishings, Decorative articles made of paper, and Fashion Accessories etc.”
EPCH is a nodal institute for promoting exports of handicrafts from the country to various destinations of the world and projecting India’s image abroad as reliable supplier of high quality of handicrafts goods & services. The overall Handicrafts exports during the year 2024-25 was Rs. 33,123 Crores (US $ 3,918 Million) and handicrafts exports to UK during 2024-25 was Rs 2562.70 crores (USD 303.01 Million), further informed by Shri Rajesh Rawat, Executive Director-EPCH.
