POTTERY INDUSTRY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT BY EFFECTIVE MARKETING THROUGH INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT)

Globalization has opened up the economy at a very high speed, as a result of that information technology has opened the sphere a global village and have facilitated global communications network that transcends national boundaries. Due to ICT there is a dramatic change in the society. Handicraft industry is the second largest industry which provides employment to rural and underemployed agricultural laborers. But large group of artisans are in the unorganized sectors like handicraft and cottage industry and these handicraft artisans are in inaccessible area of rural India. Majority of artisans are still bounded to traditional way of living so they are not enjoying the modern world benefits and adopted to modern scenario. These artisans are not access to available technology or participation and to promote for the contribution of societies development and these artisans are less engaged with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) than common man. Information and Communication Technologies are for everyone and handicraft artisans should equally benefit to the advantages offered by the technology to the products and processes. Almost in all the States of the India, people are expert in producing handicraft items traditionally. The worth of Indian handicrafts in the international market was realized when the exports crossed Rs. 300,274.12 crores in 2012-13. The handicrafts sector has made considerable contribution to the Indian economy through exports. ICT brings success to marketing and export activities and production part of the craft. But knowledge on marketing technology was poor for artisans. So, an attempt has been made in this paper to bring out the problems and opportunities of artisans in the handicraft industry with the usage of ICT, and the opportunity for exporting to foreign countries and to help artisans improving their standard of living and thus the economy.