Impact of Global Financial Crisis on Indian Handicrafts Exports: A Breakpoint Analysis

After the global economic downturn in 2007–2008, India’s export of principal commodities such as ores and minerals, engineering goods, projects goods and handicrafts products showed insignificant growth rate. The handicrafts sector has been given focal attention in the study due to its worrying insignificant growth and to exploit opportunities for exporters in the global market. This article, in an attempt to examine structural changes in exports of handicrafts product, performed the Chow breakpoint test by setting a break-up year to see if there has been a break in demand. This study contemplates and reflects how Indian handicrafts sector has surpassed its reputation among the diverse consumers in the global market after the global economic crisis and how government interventions have liberated the sector from middling growth to become a major contributor to world consumption. To make the subject more content and lucid to understand, this study has thoroughly accrued, reviewed and analysed several reports and trade data, and it culminates with some policy implication and suggestions to policymakers and entrepreneurs.