Carpet exports grew about 7 per cent year-on-year to $75.4 million in January on the back of growing demand in new markets like China and Latin America.
Exports of this item stood at $70.5 million in January 2012, according to the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) data.
“The exporters are getting good number of orders from new markets like Latin America, Africa and China,” a CEPC official said.
However, he said, the demand is yet to pick up in the US and European markets.
The US and European markets account for over 60 per cent of the country’s total carpet exports.
The categories that registered maximum growth in January this year include handmade silk carpets that grew by 21 per cent, followed by handmade woollen tufted carpets 11 per cent and synthetic carpets by 5 per cent.
The council expects carpet exports to touch $1 billion in 2012-13 compared to $808 million in the last fiscal. The carpet exports sector employs 2.5 million people.
During April-January 2012-13, carpet exports grew 7 per cent to $809 million compared to the same period last year.