Goan handicrafts may finally be coming into their own. As a first step the handicrafts dept wants to export Goa's Azulejos tiles. 

Azulejos tiles (hand-painted ceramic tiles) were introduced in Goa by the Portuguese.

India will participate in the international fair in Greece at Thessalonica from September 13 to 15 and Goa will exhibit Azulejos tiles portraying Greek Gods, Chairman of Goa Handicrafts Rural Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC) Sameer Salgaoncar said.

When asked how they planned to staff off competition from Portugal and Spain, countries with a strong tradition in the art of Azulejos tiles, managing director of the corporation Nikhil Dessai said, “We will make our tiles available at one-fourth or even one-third the price that azulejos are being sold in Europe. It is possible for us to price it such, as art is availed at a premium in Europe,” he said. “Painters and artists are put up on pedestals there, but it is the opposite here. We seek to change that now.”

It seems a pity that the first USP for work from India is the price factor. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if Dessai had said Goa would compete on a unique "Goan touch" instead of jumping to the price?

Bar coding and photo documentation of handicrafts will also be taken up by the corporation. Besides, Salagoncar said the board meeting had also decided to introduce an e-portal for the marketing and sale of Goan handicraft. The work of photographing and researching has already begun he said.