Cauvery Handicrafts Eyes ₹5 Cr Annual Online Sales In 3 Years With New E-Commerce Portal

KSHDCL on Wednesday said that it is giving its Cauvery Handicrafts brand a digital push with a revamped e-commerce portal aimed at expanding the reach of the state's traditional handicrafts in domestic and overseas markets.

The upgraded portal, currently under development, is proposed to be launched during the upcoming Ganesh festival.

Cauvery Handicrafts, the official retail brand of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (KSHDCL), currently records annual online sales of around ₹70 lakh and has set a target of increasing the figure to ₹5 crore within the next three years.

The existing e-commerce portal was developed in 2012. The new platform is being designed as a more customer-friendly digital marketplace, with a focus on improving accessibility and showcasing a wider range of handicrafts, KSHDCL said in a release.

A key feature of the new portal will be a 'Customize Product' facility, through which customers can specify requirements relating to size, design, colour, material, engraving, personalisation, quantity and packaging.

The facility is also expected to cater to corporate gifting and special-event requirements.

The portal will bring together a range of Karnataka handicrafts, including sandalwood and rosewood products, Bidriware, Channapatna lacquerware, Kinhal toys, Mysore traditional paintings, Ganjifa art, metal crafts, and handloom and textile products.

The upgraded platform is envisaged as a digital extension of Cauvery Handicrafts Emporium and is expected to provide artisans with access to a wider customer base and new markets.

"Karnataka's handicrafts represent a unique heritage and the exceptional skills of our artisans. Our objective is to take these products to a much larger customer base through digital markets," Rohini Sindhuri, Secretary to Government, MSME, Mines and Textiles Department, said.

"Through the new portal, we aim to increase Cauvery's annual online sales to ₹5 crore within three years, while creating new market opportunities for our artisans," she said.

KSHDCL Managing Director H R Rajappa said the objective was to make Cauvery products more accessible to buyers in India and overseas.

"The 'Customize Product' facility will create an effective bridge between customer requirements and the skills of our artisans," he said.