India Carpet Expo concludes with export orders worth Rs 240 crore

Bhadohi (UP), Oct 15 (PTI) The four-day India Carpet Expo, Asia's largest carpet fair, concluded with export orders worth between Rs 200-240 crore, its organisers said on Wednesday.

Organised by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) under the Union Ministry of Textiles, the event was held from October 11 to 14 at the Carpet Expo Mart in Bhadohi. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had inaugurated the fair.

Speaking at a press conference after the event, CEPC Chairman Kuldeep R Wattal said that while 442 overseas carpet importers from 67 countries were invited, 215 importers from 42 countries and 200 representatives of foreign buyers participated in the expo.

"Export orders worth Rs 200 crore to Rs 240 crore were received during the fair," Wattal said, noting that the previous edition had secured orders worth Rs 500 crore.

He attributed the decline to reduced participation, with around 100 fewer stalls and 125 fewer buyers, mainly due to US tariffs and global trade disruptions caused by ongoing conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war.

"These factors affected logistics, causing delays in shipments," Wattal said. Despite this, India achieved exports worth Rs 17,741.61 crore in the current financial year (2024-25), he added.

Wattal further highlighted that the recently signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom had a positive impact, bringing 10 new buyers from the UK and 12 from Australia to the expo.

Importers from Germany, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Iran, Russia, Switzerland, the US, and the UAE also visited the fair, placed orders, and interacted directly with exporters.

Around 150 Indian carpet exporters showcased their collections at the event, which serves as a key global platform for promoting handmade carpets from Bhadohi and other parts of India.

Wattal said demand was particularly strong ahead of the Christmas season, when Bhadohi's handmade carpets are a preferred choice for home and office decor and gifting in overseas markets. PTI COR KIS MR