Indian Ambassador here Navdeep Suri on Monday inaugurated an exhibition showcasing Indian handicrafts in Cairo.
The exhibition is part of the "India by the Nile 2015" Festival, currently held in Egypt.
In March 31, India's megastar Amitabh Bachchan inaugurated the third edition of the festival which runs until April 17.
During the ceremony, the Indian ambassador said that Indian handicrafts have emerged as a vibrant, multi- billion dollar export industry that provides employment to millions of persons from the economically weaker sections of society.
"By bringing top Indian craftsmen to Egypt, we hope to share the Indian experience in a field that overlaps both cultural and economic development," Suri said.
The event, which will be held in two places, includes display of Handicrafts like Terracota, Rangat Saree, a handloom weaving technique using different colours of weft woven by interlocking method and Pattachitra, a cloth based scroll painting using vivid colors and striking characters.
India produced an estimated USD 5.6 billion in handicrafts, with exports in the fiscal year 2012- 2013 amounting to USD 3.3 billion with a growth rate of 22.15 per cent from the preceding year, thus Indian exports of handicrafts account for more than half of entire productive capacity.
The festival is organized by the Embassy of India in Cairo in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and the Cairo Opera House.