HANDLOOM fabrics and handloom weavers form an integral part of the rich culture, heritage and tradition of India.
Apart from providing one of the basic needs of human beings, along with a sizable contribution to GDP and export, this Industry provides direct and indirect employment to millions of people in the rural and urban areas.
Handloom is one of the largest employment providers after agriculture in India.
This sector provides employment to 4.33 million persons engaged on about 2.4 million handlooms. Production in the handloom sector recorded a figure of 7116 million sq. metres in the year 2013 to 2014. During 2014 to 2015, production in the handloom sector is reported to be 3547 million square metres (April to September 2014)
This sector contributes nearby 15 per cent of the cloth production in the country and also contributes to the export earning of the country. 95 per cent of the world’s hand woven fabric comes from India. It has been sustained by transferring skills from one generation to another.
The strength of the sector lies in its uniqueness, flexibility of production, openness to innovations, adaptability to the suppliers’ requirement and the wealth of its tradition.
“India Handloom Brand” is an endorsement to quality of the handloom products in terms of raw material, processing, embellishments, weaving design and other parameters besides social and environmental compliances for earning the trust of the consumers. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the India Handloom Brand at Chennai recently as part of the first ever National Handloom Day celebrations.
It seeks to ensure this by giving particular attention to the following: production of high quality, defect free, hand-woven, authentic “niche product”, zero defect; authentic traditional design, zero impact on environment, social compliance.
Advantages of branding are:
* Customer will be assured of the quality of the product as per specification;
Bulk buyers and exporters will be able to source quality fabrics as per his/her design produced in time and establish a distinct market positioning for authentic hand-woven fabrics of India;
* Weaver will be able to get bulk orders and higher wages by interacting directly with the market;
* Weaver entrepreneur (younger generation) will take up traditional profession of production of quality handloom fabrics in bulk and marketing within and outside the country and;
* It will empower women and disadvantaged segments.
Products identified for branding include Saris (cotton, silk, cotton silk), dress material, bedsheets and scarf/shawls.