By Dominick Rodrigues
Mumbai: The carpet industry is all set to go online to highlight its exquisite Indian carpets that reflect the timeless amalgamation of nature, culture and art while being part of luxurious lifestyles in modern times.
India’s carpet-weaving is a traditional and well-established industry with magnificent masterpieces created by over three million Indian carpet weavers and craftsmen that continue to attract consumers around the globe. This industry contributes significantly in the employment and income segment as well as foreign exchange earnings, according to Vikas Gupta, CEO
“The Indian carpet industry is primarily an export-oriented industry and Indian carpets are exported globally to around 200 countries including USA, Germany, UK, UAE, Italy, Australia, Turkey, France, Canada, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Netherland, Saudi Arab and Sweden, which are considered the most important carpet-export destinations.”
“However, with the COVID crisis affecting the market badly, carpet brands are now gearing up to mark their presence on digital mediums through virtual fairs and online business in 2021-22. While the digital presence is expected to enhance brand’s ability to generate traffic and sales, the virtual fairs and online shopping platforms are expected to increase awareness outreach to people through websites – thus also helping the entire carpet industry to emerge as an organized sector while increasing brand’s credibility and visibility in the larger target audience.”
“Since inception, this carpet manufacturing sector has been rural-based, and its online presence is expected to boost regional growth. The sector is therefore prepping up for major upgradations to elevate its export performance.”
“While online visibility is expected to foster business, carpet weaving is not a newly emerged profession as the tradition of carpet-weaving dates as far back as the 16th century, when Mughals established the art of carpet weaving in the town of Akbarabad, now Agra. Carpet-weaving continued expanding and surviving in India under the patronage of the Indian nobility.”
“Even today, the contribution of the carpet industry to employment and income generation is well-recognised as it caters to employment in rural and semi-urban areas, while contributing substantially to societal objectives like poverty alleviation through employment generation.”
“The carpet industry in India is the finest example of how a domestic industry practiced at home can be transformed to a full-grown mechanised industry. The sector is growing exponentially from the safer confines of the home, where the carpet was weaved to the market catering global audience with its online and offline presence. Strategic business models are being widely used in the textiles world these days to analyze the problems and prospects of any business situation.”
“The adoption of omni-channel retail will continue to have a profound impact on every element of the supply chain. The strong presence on mobile search engines like Google Mobile will strengthen the brand while helping them with digital systems. Mobile e-mail is seen the most used extension of telecommunication functionality and search functions are the primary driver of Internet commerce, where it can be a lucrative adaptation.”
“Brands and retailers need will enable transactions and deliver confirmations via the mobile web or phones. Various brands have understood that it is the right time to get strategic about cross-channel targeting and marketing. Also, the paramount use of analytics to mine business intelligence and understand customers will be critical,” Gupta added.
