GREATER NOIDA: Trade deals to the tune of Rs 3,300 crore were finalised at the 46th edition of the Indian Handicraft and Gifts Fair that concluded at the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida on Thursday.The profit earned this year was 8 per cent greater than last year's Rs 3,100 crore.The five-day business-to-business fair that began from October 14 witnessed two new major developments - Vietnam and Cambodia replacing China as the main competitor for the US and rupee devaluation leading to more bulk orders for domestic exhibitors and distributors. While exports during 2017-18 amounted to Rs 23,029 crore, the export revenue in the first six months of the current financial year stands at Rs 12,953 crore."It's an overall increase of 6.58 per cent from the previous year," said O P Prahladka, chairman, Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and the organiser of the IHGF. "The US government's policy against China led to more US buyers showing interests in other countries. Now, our main competitors will be Vietnam and Cambodia," said Rakesh Kumar, executive director, EPCH.Kumar goes on “the near 12 per cent total rupee devaluation has further helped Indian exhibitors get more orders as overseas buyers found the prices conducive to place more orders,” said Kumar, added: "that this is a good time for women entrepreneurs/exhibitors to come forward and take advantage of the situation as they are still to scale up their business interests."Recorded as the largest congregation of handicraft exhibitors under one roof by Limca Book of World Record in 2017, IGHF show had first time buyers from countries like Benin, Fiji, Latvia, Rwanda and Dominican Republic along with regulars such as USA, UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, Netherland, UAE, Brazil, Saudi Arabia.The fair had 3250 manufacturers/exhibitors from across the country showcase over 2000 products in handicrafts, lifestyle, design, light and lamps, garments, raw materials and more to 6100 overseas buyers from 95 countries said, Kumar.While Bhupendra Singh, minister of state for Panchayati Raj (independent charge) Government of Uttar Pradesh launched the product catalogues of home décor and textiles in the presence of Ritesh Kumar Gupta, MLA Moradabad city on the closing day of the fair on Thursday, Ajay Tamta, Union minister of state for textiles had inaugurated the fair on October 14. Others who visited the five-day fair include Anoop Chandra Pandey UP chief secretary and B N Singh, district magistrate Gautam Budh Nagar.

Stay updated with all the Noida Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.