The beginnings at EPCH
Joined the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts in its formative period, working to build exporter membership and international connections.
SourceTHE STORY
A builder of institutions.
A believer in people.
A professional journey at the intersection of craftsmanship, enterprise and international trade.
Opportunity, made possible.
Dr. Rakesh Kumar is Chairman of India Exposition Mart Limited and Director General in the role of Chief Mentor at EPCH. His work has centred on helping India’s handicraft exporters and smaller enterprises participate in international markets.
Joining EPCH in 1986, he was part of the council’s formative years. The BIMTECH case study describes the early challenge of earning exporters’ confidence, growing membership and building relationships with overseas buyers.
That experience shaped a larger ambition: to create institutions that could address the practical needs of an entire sector. Trade fairs became platforms for discovery. Skills and design institutions supported capability. A permanent exhibition and mart complex gave the community a place to grow.
His role in India Expo Centre & Mart extended from concept to commissioning. Its development as a collective enterprise is the subject of a published academic study on leadership and stakeholder participation.
Explore the institutions and initiativesINSTITUTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Leadership across the ecosystem.
Institutional roles as recorded in February 2026. Explore the linked profile and source references for background.
Chairman
India Exposition Mart Ltd. (IEML)
Director General in the role of Chief Mentor
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH)
Chairman
Expo Digital India Private Limited
Director
Bharat Tex Trade Federation
Director
Uttar Pradesh Export Promotion Council
Director
Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation
Governing Board Member
The Council of EU Chambers of Commerce
Founder Chairman
Buying Agents Association of India
Earlier leadership and founding responsibilities +
Former President, Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA); Founder Secretary, Handicrafts & Carpet Sector Skill Council (HCSSC); Founder Secretary, National Centre for Design & Product Development (NCDPD); and First Chairman, Buying Agents Association of India.
THE JOURNEY
Milestones that tell a larger story.
A platform for Indian craftsmanship
Helped establish the Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair, creating a dedicated meeting place for exporters and overseas buyers.
SourceFrom shared ambition to a permanent home
IEML was incorporated in 2001. The foundation stone followed in 2003, and India Expo Centre & Mart was inaugurated in 2006.
SourceConnecting the buying community
Initiated the Buying Agents Association of India, giving buying agents and buying houses a collective platform.
SourceLeadership becomes a case study
Anuj Sharma’s academic study documented the collective-ownership approach behind the Expo Mart.
SourceNew recognition and new platforms
Received an honorary doctorate at Teerthanker Mahaveer University. The supplied profile records his role in initiating the UP International Trade Show.
SourceConnecting sectors at national scale
Served as Secretary General of Bharat Tex 2024 and 2025, according to the supplied professional profile.
SourceAn ongoing conversation
Continues to contribute to public discussions on exhibitions, handicrafts and market access, including a published August 2026 interview.
SourceRECOGNITION
Honours along the way.
Prerna Strot Award
Presented by the Government of Himachal Pradesh in recognition of contributions to Indian handicrafts.
Read the coverageHonorary doctorate
Conferred at Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, on 17 March 2023, in recognition of his work in handicrafts and exports.
View the professional profileJETRO’s Commendation Award
Recognised for his contribution to promoting Indian handicrafts in Japan.
View the professional profileEDUCATION
A grounding in
public service and trade.
His educational background includes postgraduate study in Public Administration and International Foreign Trade, alongside a Diploma in International Foreign Trade.
His honorary doctorate is a separate recognition of his professional contribution.
Download the detailed profile