INTRODUCTION Handicrafts are hand made items produced with application of mainly human energy and skills with or without the aid of mechanical devices or hand tools for various types of end uses. Handicrafts are categorized as utility items, decorative items and utility-cum-decorative items. By and large, handicrafts are made from almost all commonly available material such as metal, stone, wood, cane, bamboo, straw, grass, textiles, leather, ivory, bones, horns, shells, clay, ceramics, glass, papier machie, paper, zari, etc., using a variety of skills which include casting, engraving, cutting, inlay, marquetry, knotting, embroidery, etching, weaving, polishing, etc., The first ever initiative to gather comprehensive socio-economic data on the handicrafts sector in India was taken under the sponsorship of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) when a national census of the handicrafts sector was undertaken by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), New Delhi in 1995-96. In the 24 States in which the survey was conducted, the total number of units producing handicrafts was 12.66 lakhs. The artisans working in these units were 41.03 lakhs; the estimated value of goods produced was Rs. 26.213 crores. The average size of a unit in these 24 States was 3.24 persons per unit^
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