India recently celebrated the 10th National Handloom Day on 7 August 2024. This day is celebrated to commemorate the beginning of the Swadeshi movement on 7 August 1905, which was part of India’s freedom struggle to promote domestic handloom products. In India, 7 August is being celebrated as National Handloom Day every year since the year 2015.
Status of Handloom Industry in India
- The handloom industry of India is an integral part of India’s cultural heritage and preserves the traditional embroidery and weaving art of the country. This industry provides employment to millions of artisans and contributes significantly to the rural economy.
- Unique Handloom Products The handloom industry of India is famous for its diversity and traditional handicrafts.
The following are the major handloom products manufactured in different regions of the country
- Banarasi: Silk fabric characteristic of Banaras, with elaborate weaving and invaluable designs.
- Jamdani : A very ancient and beautiful fabric from Bangladesh and the Indian Bengal region.
- Baluchari : A traditional silk saree mainly from West Bengal, known for its various designs and craftsmanship.
- Handloom related to Madhubani Painting Embroidery Art : Embroidery art of Mithila region, which is famous in the world for its unique depiction and artistic designs.
- Kosa : A natural silk from Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, known for its exceptional quality and durability.
- Ikkat : A special weaving technique which combines dyeing and weaving, mainly found in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Patola : A unique fabric from Gujarat, known for its intricate designs and embroidery.
- Tussar Silk : A natural silk produced especially in Jharkhand and Bihar.
- Maheshwari : A handmade fabric from Madhya Pradesh, available in various colours and designs.
- Moirang Phi : A unique fabric from Manipur, which reflects its rich cultural heritage.
- Phulkari: Embroidery technique of Punjab, famous for its colourful and intricate designs.
- Laheriya: A typical textile of Rajasthan, having multi-coloured wavy designs.
- Khandua: A traditional textile of Odisha, known for its special weaving technique.
- Tangalia: A traditional textile art of Gujarat, in which weaving is done with coloured threads.
Steps and various initiatives taken by the government related to handloom industry
- National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP): This programme provides financial assistance, marketing support and rewards to handloom clusters. It plans to fund mega clusters with Rs 30 crore for 10,000 looms.
- Market Access Initiative (MAI): This initiative promotes exports through market research, international marketing and support to small industries. The scheme will be effective till March 2026.
- Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS): Under this scheme, subsidized yarn supply, improvement in dyeing facilities and freight reimbursement and price subsidy will be provided to handloom weavers. This scheme will be effective till 2025-26.
- Handloom Export Promotion Council (HPEC): It is a non-profit agency under the Ministry of Textiles aimed at promoting the export of handloom products such as fabrics, home furnishings and carpets.
- Procurement of inventory through Handloom Corporations/Cooperatives: The Ministry of Textiles has directed the States and Union Territories to procure finished inventory from handloom weavers and artisans through their Handloom Corporations/Cooperatives/Agencies.
- Registration of weavers on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal: Weavers have been registered on the GeM portal to establish direct contact with government departments and organizations. So far, about 1.50 lakh weavers have been linked to this portal, enabling them to make their products available directly for government procurement.
- Establishment of Handloom Producer Companies: 128 Handloom Producer Companies have been established in various states to improve productivity and marketing capabilities and ensure better income.
- Easy Credit Policy: Weavers are provided with concessional loans, financial assistance under Weavers Mudra Yojana, interest subvention, and credit guarantee to improve their economic condition.
- Establishment of Design Resource Centres (DRC): Design Resource Centres have been established in major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, which provide weavers, exporters, manufacturers and designers with the necessary resources for design improvement and development.
- Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC): HEPC organizes international fairs in virtual mode and 23 e-commerce entities have been engaged to promote e-marketing of handloom products.
- Raw Material Supply Scheme: A scheme has been implemented to ensure availability of yarn to handloom weavers by providing reimbursement and price subsidy for raw material.
- Educating Weavers: Chaupals have been organized in various states to make weavers aware about the benefits of various handloom schemes to improve their socio-economic condition.
Importance of Textile Industry in India
- The textile industry of India contributes 2.3% to the Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has a share of 7% in industrial output, contributes 1% to export earnings and 1% to the total exports.
Hence, the following are the main reasons for the success and growth of textile industry in India
- Major producer of cotton: India is the largest producer with a 25% share in global cotton production, which ensures abundant supply of raw material for the textile industry.
- Global position in textile production: India is the second largest textile producer in the world after China, which plays an important role in the international textile market.
- Production of man-made fibres: India is the second largest producer of man-made fibres (such as polyester and viscose), which increases the diversity and production capacity of the industry.
- Extensive domestic market: India has a vast and diverse domestic market, which provides strong domestic demand to the textile industry and encourages its growth. Through these factors, India’s textile industry plays an important role in economic development, export growth, and employment generation.