Namaskar, I welcome everyone to this Virtual Buyer Seller Meet being organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts of India.

Friends, as we know after this pandemic covid struck all over world and all of us were struggling as to how to help the exporters and artisans in this difficult time and I really appreciate the efforts made by EPCH, India in organising so many virtual fairs during this period. They have organised four virtual fairs during this period and one Buyer Seller Meet also.

This is a second Buyer Seller Meet being organised this time particularly for the buyers and users of Nordic Countries i.e. Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland and of course other countries of Europe will also be benefited through this. I am really glad to say and announce to you that more than 158 exhibitors are taking part in this and they have brought such a wide range of products with them. You can have products like Bathroom Accessories, Home Accessories, Home Décor, Carpet, Fashion Jewellery, you name it and we have those products available for you. So I really appeal to all the buyers to have a look at these beautifully decorated stalls, of course on a virtual mode. You can have a look and select the product for you.

I am also thankful to my friends and colleagues in different embassies in these countries and other places who have come forward and helped us in organising this and with their support. With the participation of everyone - the Buyers, Sellers, Buying Agents and the media persons, I am quite sure that this time again, we will be having a very good meet and which will benefit all of us the buyers and sellers. We are particularly more concerned with the artisans and the makers of the products who stay sometimes in very remote parts of the country and they have very high hopes from all of us.

I again request the buyers to have a deeper look into our products and see that all these products reach the homes of different buyers.

I am happy to know that the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), India is organising a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet to promote the products of Indian artisans. It is also heartening to note that EPCH is trying to connect more than 150 manufacturers of home, fashion, lifestyle, textiles and furniture from India with the buyers in Norway. I would like to congratulate EPCH for organizing this Virtual meeting from 27-29 January, 2021 during this unprecedented times. I am sure this Virtual Meet is a rare opportunity for display of a galaxy of Indian handicrafts to Norway and Nordic countries.

This is also an opportunity to portray diversity of India, which the world is appreciative of. This will also be an opportunity to present to the world India's abundant skills, competitive edge and adherence to quality compliances to the world. I am confident that this Virtual BSM will also bring promising prospects to network with the Indian manufacturers/suppliers of home décor, textiles, jewellery & accessories, houseware and sustainable & eco-friendly products.

I extend my warm wishes to EPCH for a successful event and hope this proves to be a rewarding opportunity for the both countries.

My warm greetings to all of you from Stockholm, Sweden.

May I also offer my best wishes for the New Year. 2020 was a difficult year. But with the start of vaccinations, it is a time of hope and revival. The challenges of COVID have also opened the door to many new opportunities with the help of digital communication technologies and this virtual meeting is a demonstration of that.
This is the first Buyer-Seller Meet that is being organized by the EPCH in a virtual format, which is the new normal these days. I would like to thank the EPCH for giving me this opportunity to say a few words.

I am new to Sweden having arrived here around a month ago. It is encouraging to note the growing momentum between India and Nordic countries, especially in India-Sweden context. The first India Nordic Summit was hosted by Sweden here by Sweden in 2018 and His Majesty The King of Sweden visited India in late 2019. Despite COVID, several ministerial interactions have continued in a virtual format.

In addition to the strong political engagement, Trade and investment linkages along with technology and innovation provide the strong basis for this relationship. It is exciting to note the rapidly intensifying business linkages – trade & investment - although COVID has stalled the progress a little bit.

All the participants here are experts in this business. I understand that more than 900 Swedish buyers have engaged in some fashion in this broad sector of handicrafts of interiors, fashion, textiles, lightings, jewellery and other consumer home items. Some of them may be present in this event.

I also understand that three earlier editions have been held in the last 4 or 5 years. In the last one month, one of the big news was the opening of the second megastore of IKEA in Mumbai after their first store in Hyderabad. IKEA sources a large number of its products from India. So do many other major Swedish brands like H&M, Indiska, Rusta, Hemtex and many others. It shows that Indian suppliers have been providing the kind of products that the discerning Swedish buyers are looking for.

I also understand that many of these products are also in the category of eco-friendly products which is gaining salience around the world, especially in Sweden and also in India. I hope that this online event will be useful for both buyers and sellers and will help in making new linkages.

I am delighted to know that the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is organising a virtual buyer seller meet from 27 to 29 January 2021 in Denmark and other Scandinavian Countries. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic we have to organise this buyer seller meet in a virtual mode. But there will be about 150 Indian exhibitors who will be exhibiting exclusive products of Home Furnishings, Handicrafts, Christmas decorations etc.

We would like to welcome the buyers from Denmark to take part in the Virtual BSM as they have done in the previous occasions in the two years. On previous occasions the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts had organised actual buyer seller meets in Copenhagen in November 2018 and August 2019. There were about 25-30 Indian exhibitors participating on those occasions, but this time, we have many more exhibitors.

Many companies from Denmark like Salling, Magasin, Illums Bolighus, JYSK etc. had come and taken part in the buyer seller meets and we would welcome such companies and more companies to come and actively participate in the virtual Buyer Seller Meet.

India is one of the largest exporters of textiles, home furnishings, home linen and handicrafts to Denmark. Our speciality is that lot of the handicrafts are still made by hand and we produce exquisite high quality designs with a great variety, so please come and join the virtual buyer seller meet being organised by the EPCH.

Together, with other Indian Ambassadors in the Nordic Region, I am very delighted to be part of this Virtual Buyer Seller Meet of Indian Handicrafts in the Nordic Region, especially at a time when covid-19 has disrupted normal rules of engagement. The major international fairs of Europe have been postponed.

I do recall as the Consul General of India in Frankfurt, EPCH used to mount a large delegation of exhibitors every year. There was a platform for them to showcase their exhibits and understand international trends. In my interaction with the Indian exhibitors then, I was told that they got exposure and they also got very good business leads from that fair. This innovative approach of doing business virtually is therefore commendable.

We are all very aware that India has a rich tradition of exquisite handicrafts. Over the years, Indian handicrafts have gained immense popularity the world over. There would be hardly any household in Europe and the United States without any item of Indian handicraft. Export figures; they corroborate the strength beginning with a modest export of around 100 million US dollars in 1986-87, the exports of Indian handicrafts have touched 3.5 billion US dollars in 2019-20. This is remarkable growth by any standard.

Coming to the Nordic Region, the region is yet to emerge as a major export destination for Indian handicrafts. It is yet to figure in the top 10 on any of the handicraft items like metalwares, woodwares, hand printed textiles, embroidered goods, shawls, artwares or imitation jewellery

We need to however keep in mind that most of the Nordic buyers source their material from other importers in UK, from Germany and other Western countries. The figures, therefore may be misleading. It would be therefore a mistake to conclude that there is no demand in this region. What we need to do is to build more awareness of what we produce and more roadshows showcasing the quality of the product. We need to understand their taste and preference that should we focus on quality on designing aspects. It is therefore critical for the sellers to study the market and design their products accordingly. This virtual exhibition is therefore very timely. I congratulate EPCH for organising this exhibition. I encourage the buyers from Finland and other Nordic Countries to enjoy what is on offer. Finnish people have great taste and they will indeed appreciate if they are presented an exquisite piece of Indian handicraft.

I wish the virtual exhibition all success. Thank You.

It gives me immense pleasure to inform that the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is organizing its second Virtual Buyer Seller Meet from 27-29 January 2021 for the Nordic Region, with the support of Indian Missions in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

This Meet is an ideal platform for buyers, importers, wholesalers, distributers, buying offices, independent retailers, chain stores, online sellers, designers, architects, government trade bodies, trading & retailers associations etc. to network with Indian manufacturers as well as source quality products.

This VBSM has 150 Indian exhibitors of home, lifestyle, fashion, furniture and textile items and offers an opportunity to the overseas buying community to source their varied requirements from India.

I am sure this will be a great market linkage for buyers, exporters and also for the artisans associated with them, especially in such difficult times.

On behalf of EPCH, I convey my special thanks to the Office of Development Commissioner Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles and the Indian Embassies in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden for supporting this event.

I hope the exhibitors utilize this opportunity to showcase their best to the buyers and strive to achieve promising business prospects.

Continuing our endeavour to keep global markets connected to manufacturer exporters in India despite challenges imposed by the pandemic, EPCH took the virtual route and conducted 4 exhibitions including the 50th grand edition of IHGF Delhi Fair and a Buyer Seller Meet in 2020.

Happy, humbled and reassured, we at EPCH bring to you a congregation of our 150 leading Indian exporters with a variety of lifestyle products, curated for Nordic markets. We present them in a vibrant virtual BSM from 27-29 January 2021. EPCH is leaving no stone unturned in its attempt to provide a viable matchmaking and marketing opportunity for both sides. On behalf of EPCH, I welcome all the overseas buyers and their associates to this platform.

This virtual BSM for the Nordic region will prove to be a much awaited step for the buying community to engage with the Indian handicraft sector’s exporting fraternity. I am sure this will provide market linkages for overall growth and development of the sector as well as for ensuring livelihood for the artisans engaged in it.

I express my profound gratitude to the Indian Missions in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and to the office of Development Commissioner Handicrafts for their active support and cooperation to make this virtual BSM a reality. .

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts is committed to provide uninterrupted export business opportunities to its member exporters. COVID-19 stopped all such physical meetings with the buyers. However, with the support of the technology, virtual engagements have become the new way to do the business. So our Virtual Buyer Seller Meet is for your market.

EPCH has made an effort to present you a large variety of Indian Handicrafts like home décor, home furnishing, Home Carpet, furniture, lamp lighting, fashion jewellery & accessories, Aroma and wellness products. Around 158 exhibitors are there. They will display their best designs for you and for your business.

We are thankful to Indian Missions for their support and promotion of this virtual buyer seller meet. We are also thankful to the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India for supporting EPCH to present the member exporters in world market.

On behalf of EPCH, I am thankful to Chairman EPCH - Shri R. K. Passi, Vice Chairmen EPCH - Shri R. K. Malhotra & Shri Kamal Soni and Members of Committee of Administration. Special thanks to Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director General-EPCH for guiding the team of EPCH to use the technology to do the business in this covid time.

We hope that during this buyer seller meet, our participants and the buyers will have the good opportunity to see the large range of Indian Handicrafts.