Afghans to attract Indian investment in carpet industry

The India-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Show to take place this September in India. At this exhibition, Afghan investors who will attend a carpet exhibition in India will try to attract the attention of India’s private sector towards Afghan carpets and encourage Indian businessmen to invest in the carpet industry in Afghanistan will the help of the Indian government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This will solve their problems in this industry, said Khanjan Alokozay, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) deputy head.

According to ACCI, the Afghan investors continue their efforts to replace Pakistan with India for their exports as 90 percent of Afghanistan’s carpets are being sent to international markets under the name of Pakistan – allowing Pakistan to benefit from the products.

Haji Nabi, head of Afghanistan Carpet Industry Union said that they will increase their products if USAID rents a free zone for Afghan carpets in New Delhi or other cities in India. The Afghan investors will ask the Indian government to establish a free market for Afghan carpets in India.

Afghanistan’s carpets are ranked among the best in the world. But statistics show that carpet production has dropped drastically from two million cubic meters in 2010 to 40,000 cubic meters this year. The figures show that at least 75 percent of carpet weavers have left their profession due to this decrease which has also resulted in a drop in price.

The India-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Show will be held from 27 to 30 September 2017 in India.