New Delhi : The next-generation GST 2.0 rate cuts on several handicraft items from 12 per cent to 5 per cent have come as a major boon for the country's artisans, as demand for their products has gone up, leading to higher earnings and also enabling them to compete with factory-made goods. The tax cuts have benefited artisans producing items like wood-carved products, terracotta jute handbags, textile items, and leather goods.

The muga silk industry of Assam, operating mainly in Sualkuchi (Kamrup), Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, and Jorhat, along with other sericulture clusters across the state, is a legacy carried by women weavers. The reduced 5 per cent GST rate on handloom and handicraft items will bring relief to weavers, who can now sell in competitive markets and earn better margins. It will

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