Handlooms need to be operational round the year

The handloom industry, which normally finds buyers only during the festival seasons, is in for a new initiative that will enable the sector to open up to newer markets.

An Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Programme, initiated under the aegis of the Development Commissioner of Handlooms, New Delhi, is being kickstarted to revitalise the country’s handloom sector.

The plan has been lined up through a sustained development programme which will make it capable of staying afloat in the competitive markets, said a spokesperson.

As matters stand today, the bulk of the handloom products find a place in the markets only during the festival seasons when incentives like rebates are on offer. This situation has resulted in an unstable industry where weavers and skilled workers are finding themselves unemployed through a major part of the year, an informal analysis of the sector has revealed.

The Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Programme in Thiruvananthapuram is taking the lead with the Thiruvananthapuram Cluster implemented by Kerala State Handloom Development Corporation Ltd (Hanveev) in association with the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles.

As part of the efforts to instill more attention and lure customers, a Handloom Show and Handloom Buyer-Seller Meet are to be held in Thiruvananthapuram.

The event, to be organised by the Kerala State Handloom Development Corporation and the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles, has been planned for October 17 and 18. “The aim is to promote handloom products and develop the handloom industry by exploring new markets,” the spokesperson added.

The Handloom Show 2008 will showcase the handloom products of the Thiruvananthapuram Cluster to buyers and textile designers from the neighbouring states.

According to Kerala’s Minister for Industries: “The event will host a buyer-seller meet, a seminar on handloom products and its marketing, an exhibition of innovative handloom products and a fashion show. It is expected that close to 300 delegates would be part of the event.”

Besides these, a concept that will exhort the players to ‘adopt a cluster, have your own looms’ is being mooted. Manufacturers and exporters will be given an opportunity to adopt looms, which will enable the marketers and exporters to conceive and design their own value additions.

This scheme is aimed at enabling private establishments like big retail showrooms and exporters to adopt weavers and looms to produce exclusive designs and products. It is expected that the scheme would ensure regular income to the weavers as well as provide employment throughout the year, the spokesperson added.