FHAN to Use IT to Open Virtual Handicraft Market

Today, the term information technology (IT) has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term now will soon be used in handicrafts promotion too, with its own virtual market.

According to Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN) president Bikash Ratna Dhakwa, given special concern and support the handicrafts sector can help boost the economy of the country and generate employment opportunities. Currently, this sector has around 10 lakh people employed in it.

Hence the development of this sector can create great business opportunities abroad and also within the country.

"For its promotion and export expansion, within two months we are going to launch the handicraft virtual market through which we can promote the handicrafts sector with the help of IT," said Dhakwa. With its ethnicity and unique designs Nepali handicrafts are very recognizable as exportable items abroad.

"Nepali handicrafts are in great demand abroad. Therefore, the product needs further development, either through product promotion or through improvement through different training programmes," he said.

Talking about virtual marketing, Dhakwa said FHAN will develop a special website for only Nepali handicraft products. On the site, FHAN members can do virtual marketing by displaying their products. "On this site, a single FHAN member can display different product lines listing each of their handicraft products they manufacture and the buyers can do virtual buying," said Dhakwa.

He added that individuals who are members of FHAN, who manufacture handicraft products, but who still have not established any business till date can also display their own product line in the website and create more business opportunities for themselves.

FHAN's data of the first month for the current fiscal year show that the worth of total exported handicraft products was Rs 270.449 million. In 2008-09, it was Rs 297.225 million.

Hence, the virtual marketing can be the best initiative in the country to boost Nepali handicraft products' market at home and abroad.