Greetings from Goa, India

Last week I was telling you about the Good and Bad in India - and our trip to the city of Panipat. If you missed it you can catch up here.
After Panipat we spent a few days in the heart of Old Delhi diving down the many back lanes and wire strune alleyways that harbour some of the oldest export businesses in India. 
The area around the old Jama Masjid Mosque, is still a buzzing marketplace of traders dealing in all kinds of Indian handicrafts. Many years ago, arriving early in the morning directly from the airport, I was almost mugged there and only saved by the timely arrival to work of our supplier. So happy memories. 

After our Old Delhi days, we moved to Greater Noida not far from Deli to attend the trade show. I have said before that I'm not a big fan of the trade show, many of the traders are not much more than marketing companies subcontracting to the artisans that we would prefer to deal directly with. Anyway we weren't even sure if the show was going to be well attended, there had been talk at one point last year of it being cancelled or drastically scaled so I was pleasantly surprised to see a huge buzz of activity, and yes all the halls fully occupied. And the hotels full across the area, this is the first chance since covid receded and India opened up that a major trade show in our industry is taking place. 
There are 16 halls plus a permanent mart area. We spent the first two days just walking the halls, meeting and greeting old suppliers and checking out prospective new ones. The main hall is old school with many long standing suppliers, and I feel there is not so much innovation. At the edges of the show in the overspill halls, you find younger people with brighter ideas and a more (dare I say) straightforward approach. 


It's about the product, and when you meet young people passionate about design and great products, who love gifts first and foremost, you know it's going to be easy to do business. But when you see those pot bellies, sullen greedy eyes, when prices have to be argued at length, and deals painfully hammered out, you begin to realise that money is the main love and so it's time to run away.  After many years, you learn it's better to do business with the nice guys. 
Regular readers will know we go to great lengths to ensure that we are only dealing with the nice guys. India has come a long way since I first started coming here, in those days child labour was common and working conditions generally poor. It was hard to find the good guys. But now its far better and most exporters are generally socially conscious. I still like to go and visit the workshops and factories of the people we deal with if at all possible. 


For example this couple were obsessive about incense. We are going to their factory soon to confirm a two container order.

After the trade show we normally fly down to Goa, quiet, peaceful, beautiful North Goa - far from the party zone - where we have a base of sorts. Here we meet up with the gemstone suppliers from nearby Gujerat who bring suitcases of samples and spend a day sifting and sorting out esoteric beauties you and your customers will love.  The rare minerals, gemstone artifacts, gemstone jewellery, orgonite items and pendulums etc all come from about four or five family businesses that we have been trading with for years.  Often I was dealing with the father, now the son or daughter has grown up and taken over. They tell me proudly they are the fifth or sixth generation doing this business. Strangely none of this was to be found at the tradeshow, I'm not sure why. 


Meeting father and son in Goa.

As I write this we still have a few more days here, after this we fly to Bangalore to go and visit two incense factories and possibly do a deal for a whole new product group.. stay tuned.

Meanwhile back in the UK - the team at AW Aromatics have been busy, and this week unleashed on the world a new bath bomb range that takes bath bomb gifts to a whole new level. 
Check out the Gemstone chip bracelet bath bomb.  Take a bath, enjoy the fizz and fragrance then discover your bracelet, each bracelet has a different meaning.. I love it. For sure your customers will love it too.. the world of gemstones and bath bombs come together and a new product is born! 

More news next week.
Namaste from India.

David
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