Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts

Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) - a not for profit - Government of India initiative - is offering a free service to member exporters to offer a consolidated container requisition platform to ease the ever-growing pain. Smaller retailers, independent wholesalers as well as importers are unable to absorb and pass on the exorbitant shipping cost to the end customer leading to lower sales for bulky products such as Furniture wherein shipping plays a major component in the pricing equation. This is getting further complicated due to surging cases of covid, high inflation rates, low consumer confidence, rising wages and back-breaking employee absenteeism. Artisan Furniture - using its unique supply chain of empowering artisans in the local hamlets & villages of India - has been able to tide over the supply chain crisis and has yet shown handsome growth as laid out by Forbes contributor Kevin Rozario. 2022 seems to be equally challenging and it has yet not shown any signs of softening of the shipping cost or easing of the supply chain. Shipping costs are well over $7000 for a standard TEU from Indian ports to the port of Felixstowe and importers & wholesalers have little choice but to pass on the costs to the end customer.