The Government of India announced 10 days mandatory quarantine for all British Nationals arriving in India from 4th October 2021 (Monday) in response to the similar measure being applied on Indian Nationals arriving in Britain.
Shri Rajkumar Malhotra, Chairman-EPCH informed the recent policy decision of the Government of India of ‘Ten days mandatory quarantine for all British Nationals arriving in India will affect the Council’s initiative of providing a physical marketing platform to the handicrafts exporters thereby paving way for return of the economy to a high-growth track and create gainful jobs for artisans.
Adding further, he said, the Council made SOS appeal to the Prime Minster of India, Home Minster, Commerce & Industry Minister, Civil Aviation Minister, External Affairs Minister that 10 days mandatory quarantine may be exempted for British Nationals who are arriving in India on a business visa specifically to source from Indian exhibitions.
Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Director General-EPCH informed that the Councilis organising the 52nd IHGF Delhi Fair from 28-31 October, 2021 in Physical Mode at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, with all necessary safety protocols and SOPs for organising B2B trade expositions issued by WHO and Government of India wherein overseas buyers from across the globe including buyers from Britain are expected to come for sourcing their requirement.
It is important to note that the business exhibitions are the economic growth engines acting as a catalyst for the promoting trade and commerce across countries. It is an opportune time to organize such fair in physical mode when we are seeing a gradual improvement in the overall situation of the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted lives and livelihoods over the past one-and-half years. It is a beginning of normalization of business activities after 18 months of the pandemic. The Council has got good response from the overseas buyers as well as from Indian exhibitors, informed Dr. Kumar.
The export figures for April-March of the current financial year 2020-21 are at Rs. 25679.98 crores (USD 3459.75 million) registering a marginal growth of 1.62 % (Rupee terms) and (-) 2.93 % (dollar terms) over the same period last year. However, the provisional figures for the April-August of the current financial year 2021-22 are at Rs. 12342.66 cr (USD 1667.54 million) registering a growth of 71.77% (Rupee terms) and 75.57% (dollar terms).
