Handloom Export Products Of India

What Handloom Export Products Of India does

Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) is a nodal agency constituted in 1965 under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and incorporated as a not-for-profit company under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013. It serves as the sole statutory body mandated to promote exports of Indian handloom products, with a current membership of approximately 1,700 exporters, master weavers, weavers, and artisans spread across India. Its service portfolio spans membership administration (RCMC issuance as a regulatory pre-requisite for handloom exports), trade promotion through participation in international fairs such as Heimtextil, Domotex, Who's Next, and Ambiente, organization of Buyer-Seller Meets in India and abroad, market intelligence dissemination, design and technology upgradation support, and policy advocacy to the Government of India on handloom-sector issues.

HEPC governs three intangible assets central to its mandate: the India Handloom Brand (IHB) quality certification covering raw material, processing, embellishments, and social/environmental compliance; the Handloom Mark authenticity stamp distinguishing handwoven from machine-woven textiles; and the GI Handloom Products registry cataloguing Geographical Indication-tagged regional specializations across 23+ Indian states. Its product taxonomy covers 16 export categories including carpets and floor coverings, bed/table/bath linen, upholstery, cushion covers, shawls (Pashmina, Kullu, Eri, Tasar, Muga silk), sarees, fashion accessories, and RMHK. The underlying technology is the traditional handloom sector itself: 28.2 lakh looms operated without electrical/mechanical power, employing 3.52 million weavers and 43.31 lakh workers nationally.

HEPC's revenue model combines (a) subscription membership fees (Exporters: Rs. 500 admission + Rs. 6,500/year; Master Weavers/Artisans: Rs. 1,000/year), (b) government grants under MDA/MAI schemes from the Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Commerce subsidizing international fair participation, Reverse Buyer-Seller Meets, and travel, and (c) subsidized services such as the Raw Material Supply Scheme (15% yarn price subsidy via DBT). Go-to-market is event-driven and channel-partner oriented: organized trade fair participation is the primary demand-generation channel, supplemented by RBSMs, seminars/workshops at handloom clusters, an e-newsletter, and dedicated India Handloom Brand international events. The entity operates through a head office in Chennai, a regional office in New Delhi, and liaison offices in Panipat, Karur, and Guwahati, with an elected Executive Committee and Chairman serving two-year terms.

Name

Handloom Export Products Of India

Legal name

Handloom Export Promotion Council

Website

https://hepcindia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEPC is a government-constituted nodal agency under India's Ministry of Textiles promoting Indian handloom textile exports. It serves approximately 1,700 exporters, master weavers, and artisans through RCMC certification, trade fair participation, buyer-seller meets, and the India Handloom Brand program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: HEPC generates revenue through membership fees from exporters, master weavers, and weavers/artisans. Exporters pay admission fee of Rs. 500 plus annual subscription of Rs. 6500 plus GST. Weavers pay annual subscription of Rs. 1000 plus GST.
2. Export Promotion Services: As a not-for-profit company under section 8 of Companies Act 2013, HEPC provides subsidized marketing support through government schemes including participation in international fairs, travel grants under Ministry of Textiles & Ministry of Commerce schemes, and organization of Reverse Buyer Seller Meets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HEPC is a nodal trade promotion body under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, promoting exports of Indian handloom products including floor coverings, furnishings, bed/table/kitchen/toilet linens, fabrics, made-ups, cotton durries, and carpets. It serves its ~1,700 member exporters and manufacturers through services such as international trade fair participation, buyer-seller meets, market intelligence, design development, quality control support, and brand promotion programs.

Product overview

The Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) is a nodal agency under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, established in 1965 to promote exports of Indian handloom products. HEPC is not a technology product company but rather a trade promotion body. Its primary offerings include facilitating export of handloom products across 16 major product categories: Carpets & Floor Coverings, Durries, Upholstery Curtains & Blinds, Cushion Covers & Throws, Bed Linen, Table Linen & Kitchen Linen, Bath Linen, Fashion Accessories, Shawls, Bags Shoes & Belts, Sarees, Lungies & Dhoties, Casual Fashions, Evening Wear, RMHK, and Scarves & Stoles. The organization provides membership services, trade facilitation, organizes trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and provides guidance to Indian Handloom exporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Trade Fair Organization Organizing and facilitating Indian handloom exporter participation in international and domestic trade fairs to promote export sales of handloom products worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ exporters participated in various international fairs during 2024-25
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Textiles, Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1965HEPC is a nodal agency constituted under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The Ministry provides policy direction, funding support, and regulatory framework for handloom export promotion activities.
• Office of the Development Commissioner for HandloomscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEPC works with Development Commissioner for Handlooms for implementing India Handloom Brand scheme and other handloom development programmes. The DC Office handles technology upgradation and quality compliance.
• Textiles CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTextiles Committee assists in fabric sample testing for India Handloom Brand certification and quality standards verification as part of the branding process.
• DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEPC works with DGFT for issuing Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) through the e-RCMC platform. DGFT provides the digital infrastructure for export registration and licensing.
• Ministry of MSMEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU with Ministry of MSME for Capacity Building of First-Time MSME Exporters (CBFTE). RCMC charges for first-time MSE exporters are eligible for reimbursement under this scheme.
• FIEO (Federation of Indian Export Organisations)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFIEO is linked as a resource for exporters. HEPC provides information about FIEO services to member exporters and coordinates on trade policy matters.
• Weavers Service Centres (WSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSCs across India provide extension services to weavers, assist in skill development, technology transfer, and serve as application submission points for India Handloom Brand certification.
• Indian Institutes of Handloom TechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner10 Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology located across India impart specialised training in handloom weaving to ensure continuity of hand weaving heritage and skill development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wool and Woollen Export Promotion Council (WWEPC): Ministry of Textiles EPC for wool textile exports including shawls, carpets, and Pashmina products. Directly comparable in serving wool-based handloom segments that overlap with HEPC's shawls and floor coverings categories.
• Handicraft Export Promotion Council (EPCH): Government EPC for handicraft exports including handwoven textiles, rugs, and floor coverings. Has significant overlap with HEPC's product categories, particularly carpets, durries, and traditional handicraft textiles.
• Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL): Government-constituted EPC under Ministry of Textiles for cotton textile exports. Operates with identical statutory mandate and structure as HEPC but focused on cotton textiles, making it the closest structural peer for benchmarking trade promotion operations.
• Silk Export Promotion Council of India: Statutory EPC for silk textile exports under Ministry of Textiles. Comparable in promoting specific textile segments with heritage/specialty positioning, though silk exports are distinct from broader handloom fabric exports.
• Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL): Government EPC for powerloom textiles. Structurally identical to HEPC but represents the mechanized alternative to handloom, providing a competitive counterpoint relevant to HEPC's strategic positioning.
• Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC): Official EPC for apparel exports under Ministry of Textiles. Directly comparable in mandate, structure, and member-based trade promotion services, though focused on apparel rather than handloom fabrics and home textiles.
• Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC): Government EPC under Ministry of Textiles promoting synthetic and rayon textile exports. Has parallel structure, statutory role, and member services to HEPC, focused on a different textile segment.
• Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC): Ministry of Textiles-constituted EPC specifically for carpet exports. Highly comparable as handloom carpets and floor coverings are a major HEPC product category, with overlapping exporter members in Bhadohi/Mirzapur and Jaipur.

Broad incumbents

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO): Umbrella body coordinating all Export Promotion Councils in India. Already linked on HEPC's website and serves as a coordinating apex body, representing a broader incumbent relationship rather than direct competition.

Others

• Plastics Export Promotion Council (PLEXCONCIL): Government EPC for plastics exports under Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Different industry but illustrates the broader Indian EPC ecosystem and provides structural benchmarking for trade promotion operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HEPC_India
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handloom-export-products-of-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Handloom Export Products Of India