Revival package to boost India’s handloom sector

The Government sponsored “Revival, Reform & Restructuring of the Handloom Sector” scheme is set to boost the ailing handloom secor in India.
“The basic purpose of the package is revival of the handloom sector in the country and declogging the chocked lines of bank credit to viable/potentially viable weaver’s cooperative societies (WCS) and to the individual weavers,” Mr. P Mohanaiah, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Andhra Pradesh Regional Office, Hyderabad, told fibre2fashion.
Explaining further, he says, “The recapitalization assistance will facilitate increasing the borrowing power of the Primary WCS (PWCS) and enable them to enlarge their client base.”
The scheme envisages that the lending institutions would provide liberal assistance under Interest Subvention Scheme to the weavers, who wish to take fresh loan and start weaving related activities.
“In the long run, this will benefit WCS as well as individual weavers, as their credit needs would be met by the lending institution to a large extent,” avers Mr. Mohanaiah.

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Manipur banks on development of handloom & handicrafts

It is imperative to develop handloom and handicraft industries in Manipur as the state lacks fully developed industries, said Govindas Konthoujam, Minister of Commerce and Industries, Government of Manipur.

Speaking at the State Handicrafts Awards ceremony organized by the Commerce and Industries Department at the Directorate of Commerce and Industries, Porompat, the Minister said that handloom and handicrafts are the major contributors to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He cautioned that if the domestic handloom and handicraft industry is not developed and if it fails to keep pace with the changing trend, the indigenous art, rather the whole handloom and handicraft industry would not survive.

The Minister advised that the people of the state should try to make the most of India’s Look East Policy and introduction of railways in the state.

Further, stressing on the need to create more demand for handloom and handicraft items of the state, Mr. Konthoujam said that while bestowing the products with a cultural and traditional touch, scientific technologies should be brought to work, and a marketing platform should also be developed for these products.

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J&K govt endeavours to strengthen local khadi industry

The Jammu and Kashmir state government is endeavouring to strengthen its khadi industry for betterment of those engaged in the sector.

As parts of efforts, the Minister for Industries and Commerce S S Slathia distributed cheques worth two million rupees to 35 khadi institutions in the state as an incentive package for enhancing silk production in the state.

The government is trying to strengthen the Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) for benefit of poor male as well as female artisans, said Mr. Slathia, who also heads KVIB as Chairman. He proposed organizing khadi and village industries exhibitions in different parts of the state to strengthen the sector.

He vouched complete government support for improving lives of khadi and handloom artisans, and added that all issues concerning the khadi industry would be raised before the Khadi Village Industries Commission, Government of India, seeking early redressal.

Talking to the members of Khadi Societies, the Minister reiterated the government’s promise of extending every possible help for upgrading handloom and handicraft sectors. He informed them that several schemes have been introduced for improving living standard of artisans in the state.

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Number of Indian handloom workers down nearly 34%

Smt. Panabakka Lakshmi, Minister of State for Textile has informed that, as per Second Handloom Census, 1995-96, there were 65.5 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers. Subsequently, there has been reduction in the number and as per Third Handloom Census, 2009-10, there are 43.32 lakh handloom weavers and allied workers.

The Working Group on Textile and Jute Industry for 12th Five Year Plan in its report has projected that direct and indirect employment in textiles, including handloom sector, at the end of 12th Five Year Plan would be 121.2 million, as compared to 105.40 millions at the end of 11th Five Year Plan. The required manpower is to be met through Integrated Skill Development Scheme and other developmental and welfare schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Textiles.

The Working Group on Textiles and Jute Industry has estimated the cloth production to be 1,11,848 million sq. meters in terminal year of 12th Plan, as against the base of 64,902 million sq. meters cloth production for the terminal year of 11th Plan. Similarly, the export earning at the end of 12th Plan has been estimated US$ 65.41 billion by the terminal year of 12th Five Year Plan.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a demand driven scheme in operation since 2.2.2006, backed by legislation. State Governments are obliged to provide up to at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every rural household for doing unskilled manual work, if demanded, at any time of the year, as mandated in the Act. 


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India has 7200 handloom & SME clusters: Minister

Under the Government’s cluster development programme introduced to popularize the use of modern technology, there are 7200 clusters operating in the country, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, informed the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of India’s Parliament.

These clusters are in the traditional handloom, handicrafts and small and medium enterprise (SME) segments, of which approximately 2500 are unmapped rural industry clusters, he said.

The introduction of latest technology in India’s traditional handloom, handicrafts and SME clusters was necessary for their development, according to the Policy and Status Paper on Cluster Development in India, Foundation for MSME Clusters, 2007.

Accordingly, specific Ministries/Departments of Government of India promote the use of modern technology under various cluster development programmes.

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Presentation on India inspired SE Asian hand-woven textile

Dr. Linda S. McIntosh, consulting curator of the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection and Life time member of the Thai Textile Society will give a presentation on various hand-woven textiles produced in Mainland Southeast Asia that were inspired by Indian trade textiles.

The patola was the most influential trade textile in the mainland, and it was reproduced in weft ikat rather than double ikat technique by weavers in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.

The brocades from Varanasi (Banares) were also replicated by weavers in these countries, and the locally woven versions were used in clothing styles of the courts. No surviving examples of patola have been found in Mainland Southeast Asia, but some brocades, especially those worn as drama costume, have survived. The presentation will be illustrated with examples from the Tilleke & Gibbins Textile Collection.

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NABARD gives Rs 100mn for revival of AP handloom sector

Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Bank (APCOB) has received a sum of Rs. 100 million from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for revitalizing the state handloom industry.

The sum would be utilized for recapitalization of the Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (APCO).

The move is in pursuance of an agreement inked by NABARD with the Andhra Pradesh Government and the Union Government for revival of the troubled handloom industry in the state.

Next to agriculture, handloom sector is the second largest employer in the state, employing over 300,000 weavers, and is currently facing financial crisis.

According to NABARD, Andhra Pradesh is the first Indian state to have inked an agreement under the Union Government's Weaver Package.

The assistance extended to the handloom sector by the Centre is in addition to the package announced by the state government for weavers some time back.

As informed by NABARD Executive Director Mr. SK Mitra, the package includes provisions for margin money and interest subsidy for weavers and also provides credit guarantee for banks. According to Mr. Mitra the package is in interest of all stakeholders.

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