Lepakshi gets GI status

‘Made in India’ is indeed a prestigious label to market handicraft products in the export markets. However, for artisans, it is their daily bread and butter, who get recognition for their skills only if they get remunerative prices. Hence a brand name becomes crucial in marketing their products. Fighting against the odds, the first brand of Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (APHDCL) to get a geographical indicator (GI) status is brand ‘Lepakshi’. Lepakshi is named after a temple town in Andhra Pradesh which is known for its sculpture heritage during Vizianagaram dynasty. Incidentally, Andhra Pradesh’s Pochampally textile design was the first product to get the GI status in the country from the Controller of Designs , Copyrights and Patents office. As per available statistics, brand Lepakshi ranks the top in the hierarchy of other handicraft brands like Cauvery or Kairal ior PoomPuhar, etc. According to APHDCL vice-chairman and managing director Venkatramaiah the brand’s status will help in assisting about two lakh artisans of the state to market their products overseas. This brand has in itself nine products with GI status under its umbrella and another 10 more are in the pipeline. APHDC was incorporated in 1982 with the state and Centre contributing Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 50 lakhs respectively for the Rs 2 crore share capital of the corporation. Equipped with this brand, the corporation is planning to open franchisees in the overseas markets. To this effect, the board has approved the terms and regulations to open franchisees in the US market. “Despite the lull period, the corporation is seeing a lot of demand for Lepaksh ibrand and is making efforts by conducting exhibitions in Chile and Hong Kong as demand for red sanders products are in great demand for its auspiciousness in these countries,’’ he said. Not to leave behind the domestic market, the corporation will soon set up stores in the premises of importan ttemples located in the country. Further, as part of its handholding exercise with the artisans, it is helping in providing unique and exquisite designs.The rich heritage of the state is being revived through its promotional and marketing activities with newer and modern designs being drawn from the Indian Institute of Crafts and Designs, Jaipur. To facilitate the artisans, who are facing the pinch of soaring raw material (wood) prices, the corporation has set up a`raw material bank’.The government of India has allocated about Rs 1 crore as a grant for setting up the bank which has the capacity to store about 50 tonnes of teakwood and red sanders wood. These are being procured by the state forest department, to be made available to the artisans, at concessional rates. The corporation has clocked revenues worth about Rs 55 crore across 18 showrooms in the country. This constitutes Rs 20 crore from exhibitions conducted in the country and is targeting about Rs 65 crore for this fiscal. Meanwhile, it is adding another feather to its cap. It is the first handicraft corporation to introduce the sale of pure gold coins in lieu ofAkshaya Tritiya, falling on Monday, considered to be the most auspicious day for purchase of gold or silver in any form. The corporation is now an authorised franchisee of MMTC for selling gold coins which is made available in its branded Lepakshi showrooms and sold at prescribed rates of the government of India.``This is part of the diversification agenda in the business.The cost of labour and raw materials has gone up steeply in wood and other products. We see business opportunities through this sale too,’’ he said adding that Lepakshi showrooms would soon house silver jewellery too.