Will take steps to check smuggling of raw human hair: Customs dept assures exporters

The Customs department on Tuesday assured human hair exporters to take steps to check to smuggle of the product from India with a view to boosting the growth of domestic players, the industry said Tuesday. Member of Human Hair and Hair Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association of India Tuesday held a meeting with officials of customs department and apprised them about the issue of smuggling of raw human hair to countries like Myanmar and China, which is hurting Indian industries and exports.

"They have assured that soon they will take steps to check the smuggling. We provided names of the people involved in the illegal exports," member of the association Sunil Eamani told reporters here. They have also suggested the commerce ministry to prohibit the export of raw materials to increase the availability of the commodity for domestic players.

Chennai-based human hair exporter Allure Director P Sathish Gandhi said smuggling is hitting the domestic industry severely and, availability of adequate raw material will help us in manufacturing value-added products and increase exports. Explaining the modus-operandi of the industry, Gandhi said raw hair is collected from household for processing and selling, but now it is also being collected by smugglers from Myanmar and transported through the borders.

He also noted that livelihood of lakhs of poor depends on the collection, processing and sale of human hair. Export of human hair and value-added products have declined to USD 248.1 million and 0.42 million respectively, in 2018 from USD 271.86 million and USD 2.32 million in 2017. The major export destinations include China, the US, Europe and middle-east countries. The major competitors of India are China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. In India, West Bengal is the major hub for the industry besides Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Raw human hair is mainly collected from households and temples of these states and, it primarily caters to the beauty market globally.

Two types of hair are collected in India-Remy and non-Remy hair. Remy hair, the best grade, is collected from temples where pilgrims donate their hair as part of a religious vow. This quality is mainly used to make hairpieces and wigs. Non-Remy hair is a household waste collected by small groups of people in villages and cities. They segregate that and sell to dealers.