Child Welfare: RUGMARK's Experience
                        By: Mrs. Sharda Subramaniam   
                        Managing Director - RUGMARK Foundation

RUGMARK was established in 1994. It is the constructive response to campaign of many NGOs and activists to boycott carpets from India. The campaigns claimed that  Indian Carpets were made with illegal child labour.



India Visit of German MPs

A delegation from the German Parliaments Standing Committee for Economic Co-operation and Development visited India from April 4 to 8, 2002 to discuss Germanys future economic co-operation with India and common development efforts. The significance attached by the German government to its development co-operation with India is evident from the "focal partner nation" status accorded to India under the German governments new development policy concept.



Working to Remove Child Labour

Q: How successful is Rugmark?
A: About 2.5 million Rugmark carpets have been sold to date. That is substantial progress, but it is no reason for us to become complacent. The American market needs to be more strongly involved. Rugmark is the bridge between producers and consumers. India as the largest producer and German as one of the main markets are two pillars of the bridge. More countries need to be integrated. That is my task as president. The concept needs to be established world-wide among producers, exporters, importers and consumers.