Handicraft exporters in India: list and contact details

The handicraft clusters, how to check an exporter, and ready lists of handicraft exporters.

Updated 13 October 2026 · 5 min read

Handicraft exporters in India and the clusters behind them

Most handicraft exporters in India work close to a craft cluster, where families of artisans have worked one material for generations. The exporter designs for overseas buyers, has the pieces made in workshops and homes nearby, finishes and packs them, and ships. The cluster tells you what a firm makes before you call:

Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh: brass and other metalware, from planters and lanterns to tableware.
Jodhpur, Rajasthan: solid wood furniture, wooden home decor and mixed-material pieces.
Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh: hand-carved wooden boxes, panels and furniture.
Jaipur, Rajasthan: blue pottery, block-printed textiles, stone and metal decor, and many gift and home decor exporters.
Agra, Uttar Pradesh: marble inlay work, from table tops to small boxes.
Narsapur, Andhra Pradesh: crochet lace for table linen and trims.
Channapatna, Karnataka: lacquered wooden toys.

The selling, design and paperwork often happen in a city office while the making stays in the cluster, so a firm with a Delhi or Mumbai address may have its workshop in Moradabad or Jodhpur.

EPCH, trade fairs and a few sensible checks

The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is this trade's council. Exporters register with it for a registration-cum-membership certificate (RCMC), and it organises trade fairs, including a large handicrafts and gifts fair in Greater Noida where overseas buyers meet Indian exporters. Fair exhibitor lists are a free way to find names, though they show only the firms that took a stall that season. Carpets have a council of their own.

Before you supply goods on credit or place a sourcing order, look up the firm's Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) on the DGFT site and its GST registration on the GST portal. For a large order, visit the workshop and see work in progress. With fragile goods, also ask how they pack: it decides how much arrives in one piece.

Neither check shows what a firm has shipped. That needs customs-based trade data, which our exporters and importers database guide explains. What we sell are exporters' phone numbers and email addresses, not shipment records.

A handicraft exporters list with phone numbers and emails

Handicraft exporters are one part of our All-India Exporters list, which has 1,90,701 exporters of all products, 91% of them with an email address and 68% with a mobile number. On 84% of rows a category says what the firm exports, so you can filter for handicrafts, brassware or wooden goods. Every list page shows 60 real contacts before you buy.

Craft, decor and gift lists

Some of these are lists of handicraft exporters. Others come from our Gifts, Books & Stationery list, which also covers makers, wholesalers and shops that sell only in India. The sample rows on each page show which is which.

Exporter lists by city

These hold exporters of every product; sort the category column to find the craft firms:

Who supplies and serves handicraft exporters

Raw material dealers: brass sheet and scrap, timber, marble, iron and glass, plus polishes, lacquers and finishes.
Packaging makers: five-ply export cartons, honeycomb board, and moulded pulp or foam inserts for fragile pieces.
Fumigation and heat-treatment services. Wooden packing used in export has to meet the international ISPM 15 standard, and some buyers also want wooden products fumigated.
Freight forwarders who consolidate part-container (LCL) shipments for small exporters.
Testing labs for coatings, and for tableware that will touch food, when the buyer asks.
Photographers, catalogue designers and web studios who make the product photos buyers choose from.
Stand builders and travel agents, who are busy before every trade fair.
Buyers: importers abroad, Indian home decor brands, online sellers, interior designers and corporate gifting firms looking for small runs.

Calling an exporter in Moradabad, Jodhpur or Saharanpur

Expect the owner or a family member to answer. Most handicraft exporters are family firms, and the person who deals with suppliers is often a partner, not a manager.
Use the local language where you can. Hindi works across the northern clusters, Kannada helps in Channapatna and Telugu in Narsapur. Export staff will speak English.
Lead with what you make easier. For example: "Namaste, I'm Rohit from Shree Packaging in Moradabad. We make five-ply cartons with moulded inserts for brass lamps and deliver to your unit within two days of the order. Can I bring samples on Thursday?"
Mind the season. Exporters are busiest making samples before the big fairs and finishing orders for the Western holiday season. If they say so, ask when the rush ends and call back then. Otherwise, late morning on a weekday is a good time.
Be ready for their questions: rate per piece, minimum quantity, sample charges, delivery to their unit, credit days, and whether you can work to a buyer's specification.

Read our DND guide before a calling campaign, and borrow openers from our telecalling scripts in Hindi and English.

Handicraft export questions

Do I need to register with EPCH to export handicrafts?

To export at all, you need an IEC. Exporters use EPCH registration and the RCMC to claim benefits under the Foreign Trade Policy and to take part in council fairs. Check the current rules with the council or a CA before you start.

Can a shop in India buy straight from handicraft exporters?

Often, yes. Many exporters also sell in India, and some sell surplus or sample stock. Expect a minimum order, and ask about rates for small quantities before you visit.

How do I find exporters of one craft only?

Start from the cluster: Moradabad for brassware, Saharanpur for carved wood, Agra for inlay. Then filter the category column of the exporters list, or open a craft list from the rows above. If the craft you want is missing, request a custom list.