Peacock preening Indian products, but prices a problem

Monday, 06 August 2007, 19:30 IST
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Johannesburg: A two-day exhibition of products made by women entrepreneurs from India at the Call of the Peacock Exhibition organised here by the women's wing of the Indian Marketing Chamber (IMC) attracted a lot of attention for its quality, but many local visitors appeared to find the goods on sale quite expensive. Goods ranging from designer clothes and bags to earthen lamps made by the Cancer Patients Aid Association in Mumbai were on sale, but with a regular flow of cheap goods and exhibitions by merchants from India in recent years, local consumers have become accustomed to cheap prices for Indian goods. Minal Bajaj, president of the IMC Ladies' Wing, said the exhibition they had organised featured goods of high quality, hence the price tag as well. Bajaj said the success of six Call of the Peacock exhibitions abroad had prompted the decision to host this first one in South Africa to follow immediately after the India Calling 2007 exhibition organised here by the IMC and Business South Africa. All the participants and organisers were women. "We give preference to young, upcoming, potential exporters by evaluating the price, design and novelty of their products," Bajaj told IANS. "Lots of Indian fashion designers who have achieved fame locally and abroad had their roots in the IMC expos, such as Neera Mahadevia and Malini Agarwala, whose bags which were first exhibited at our event and are now internationally sought-after," she said. The IMC Women's Wing organises the Call of the Peacock Exhibitions as a facilitator to provide women with practical learning experience through exposure to the international environment. Already buoyed by the support from Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka when she officially opened the show, the women exhibitors were thrilled by a surprise appearance by President Thabo Mbeki who made the time for a quick word with almost very stallholder.
Source: IANS