Handicrafts Exporters

"Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced." - Leo Tolstoy

Moradabad the "Brass City" famous for its huge export of brass handicrafts to North America, Europe and all over the world is very much perplexed these days. Their business is stumbling - going down by around 60 percent this year.

For the beginners, Moradabad is renowned for its brass work and has carved a niche for itself in the handicraft industry throughout the world. The main crafts are the modern and attractive brass ware, jewelry and trophies made by skilled artisans by loads of hard work and sheer creativity. The artistic brass ware is exported to countries like United States, Britain, Canada, Germany, Middle East Asia etc. The quality of artefacts is often so fine that it usually leaves the foreign patrons gobsmacked, yearning for more. No doubt, there are about 600 export units and 5000 industries in the district. Moradabad exports goods worth around Rs. 2200 crore (USD 500 million) every year.

The brassware exporters are concerned about the fall in demand not just from US or UK, but also from the European Union. Indian Government still maintains that it is investing a lot of money to improve infrastructural facilities to promote the industrial activities at Moradabad like 24 hours UN-interrupted power supply, construction of By-pass etc. However the brassware exporters are not fully convinced with government's line of action.

Brass industry is being developed as a small scale industry in Moradabad. According to news reports, about 450 acres of land has been acquired to develop a new industrial area for Export Oriented Units (EOUs) at Pakbara to Dingarpur Road. Thus this could be a good opportunity for new entrepreneurs to establish their brassware projects.

The popular brass handicrafts that are mostly sought after are brass statues, brass figures, European statues, brass articles, brass candle holders, brass candle stands, brass cross statues, brass flower vase et al. Many buyers also like brass urns, brass artware, brass flower vase, brass statues, brass vases and brass wall hangings.

Industry insiders reveal that the main challenge before the Indian brass handicrafts industry is to involve the disenchanted local youth population to take this occupation as their full time business. They further say that the next important step would be to give them proper training (including technical innovations and marketing basics). The last step would be to make them fully understand the huge potential of this business. Unless and until a compelling drive is initiated, the brass industry of Moradabad could fade into oblivion.