India's local products, markets a safe haven for Ghanaian traders – India manufacturers

Manufacturers, designers, and local industry players in Delhi, India, say the country’s local products and markets can help turn the economic fortunes of countries in the global south.

At a market exhibition (Delhi Haat), the traders said their local products and markets were ‘safe havens’ for Ghanaian traders and investors who want to serve their market segments with quality and affordable goods.

Delhi Haat, which exudes the typical traditional aura of rural markets in India and is held for about three weeks every year, is one of the biggest and most famous markets where one can buy contemporary products and handicrafts.

Mr. Siphartha Bhattacharya, a designer and manufacturer of fabrics in New Delhi, along with his sales personnel in a makeshift structure, said their local products, though of high quality, had been priced down to reach out to developing countries like Ghana.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said the trade of local products between Ghana and India would not only help create jobs and reduce the high cost of living in Ghana but also help tackle the circular economy that has created a textile waste management challenge for several African countries, including Ghana.

He said most of the manufacturers were scattered across towns and villages in India with their indigenous techniques, and anyone who invested would get incentives and products that could not be found anywhere else in the world.

“We have garments for ladies, men, and children, food items, furniture, cosmetics, bags, ceramics, brass, shoes, and pieces of jewelry, among others. If you want 500 pieces, 50 pieces, or 10 million pieces, you will get them,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.

“Our laws are economically friendly and help grow your business. Besides, the Indian government has given us reliable and affordable electricity and sustainable infrastructure, and with our vibrant local production ecosystem, we can provide our Ghanaian counterparts with quality products,” he said.

The handcraft market, which is celebrated through an exhibition, marks the beginning of the usage of the wheel machine by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, as part of efforts to create economic ventures for the people.

Kashmir, a region in northwestern India, is home to some varieties of quality fabrics like cotton and blended ones like cotton and silk, cotton and pashmina, and silk and pashmina.

Mr. Bilal Khan, a trader of pashmina fabrics, said his clothes were designed to give warmth to the body during cold weather and could be good for Ghana since Africa is experiencing excessive cold and heat.

“The sales of these fabrics and other products are a profitable business, and we could give discounts and other incentives to our Ghanaian customers for long-term mutual benefit,” he said.

Miss Nandini Kalita, Assistant Professor at Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, who has been patronizing products from Delhi Haat, said it was a place where everybody could get goods at affordable prices, adding that the Indian government should give more opportunities to local manufacturers to increase production.