According to information carpets manufactured in India are having much demand all over in the world. While having a look over Indian carpet industry spread across several states in the country including Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh , Jammu-Kashmir , Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telgana and Odisha doing annual business of value worth Rs 61.9 Arab Dollar in exports to nearly 70 countries in world and as per data available for year 2021have nearly 40% share in exports in world market, which include 57% export to USA alone and the exports can be further increased to 73.9 Arab Dollar by the year 2026 in case this industry gets government support. The entrepreneurs in carpet manufacturing industry said that carpets manufactured in India are in much demand, especially in hotels all over the world. Information reveals that carpet industry in the country providing employment to nearly 25 lakh people.
While talking to few carpet manufacturers at Panipat they told that this industry was having good support by the government as such flourished in past years but at present facing severe crunch due to burden of taxes and lack of support by the government. According to Aslam Mehmood member of CEPC dealing with export of carpets in the country, government of India has withdrawn merchandise exporters from India scheme (MEIS) in which exporters used to get refund on tax up to 7% on exports of carpets which has adversely affected export business in the country.
Aslam Mehmood said, carpet manufacturers in the country are facing severe financial crisis unable to expand their business and should be provided loans at reduced rate of interest enabling to stand on their feet to boost this handicraft business having much demand in export markets. He said that carpet industry having slump since past couple of year due to spread of epidemic outbreak all over in the world, frequent lock down declared by the government in the country, followed by war between Russia and Ukrain adversely affecting exports to large number of countries in Europe and United States having much demand of carpets manufactured in India. Mehmood demanded that government should arrange special training programs for youths and women for manufacturing machine made carpets since the artisans and workers in this industry lack knowledge of new techniques in manufacturing carpets and compete in export markets.
Having a look at the exports on which this industry in the country is dependant since past five years has been recorded as nearly Rs 11028 crore during year 2017-18, Rs 12365 crore during year 2018-19, Rs 11799 crore during year 2019-20, Rs 13810 crore during year 2020-21 and Rs 16640 crore during year 2021-22. Meanwhile, the president of Panipat Industry Association Preetam Sachdeva told that yarn industry of Panipat facing acute shortage of raw material at present and most of the industrial units in the area are manufacturing yarn on open end machines facing sever crisis since cotton prices in the market are too high being sold at the rate Rs 172 per kilogram. Sachdeva told that most of yarn manufacturing units at Panipat are working at 50% of their production capacity due to poor demand for carpets and other textile products in domestic as well as in export markets at present.
