Handicraft exporters set to get freight subsidies
India has a rich handloom culture, which is iconic with the country’s traditional rich colours and complicated designs woven into its fabrics. From the past generations there has been the silk of Banaras, and the cotton of Kanchipuram, handloom weaving became not only the vesture of India but also of resistance, sturdy, and pride. But today this ancient industry is facing some problems that can be deemed as critical for its existence. Still, there are small signs to conserve and restore the glory of handlooms in India as per their potential.
Handloom certification holds a very long history in India and the earliest archaeological evidence using the handloom is seen from the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization. For hundreds of years, the hand-woven fabrics of India have received high acclaim.
Old-age patronage of arts also played a role in the emergence of conceivably the best fabrics like muslin, brocade, pashmina wool etc during the Mughal reign.nIts governing of different types of(World strictly speaking India was the biggest producer of textiles that were in high demand around the world and this was in the 17th century.
The Indian handloom industry struggled in the 19th century though, with the advent of Britain’s industrial revolution. The period when weavers faced exploitation by the East India Company can marked as the beginning of a troubling period in the country’s history.
Weavers were compelled to sell their products cheaply to Britain while Indian textiles in turn got levied high duties to favour British manufactured machine-made textiles. The Industrial Revolution in Britain also deal a mortal blow at the local handloom industry by providing cheaper machine-made products.
Presently, the handloom industry of India is in severe critical condition. As in many Less Developed Countries, millions of workers are still engaged in cloth weaving though the industry is threatened by power looms that yield fabrics at a much faster rate and at a comparatively small cost.
Another record from the year 2020 indicates that more than 67% of the handloom workforce paid less than minimum wages; the handloom workforce is also aging at a faster trend. The majority of weavers are today over 35 years old due to increased migration to urban areas in search of better-paying jobs.
Also, the industry in relatively unstructured, covering institutions credit and banking facilities. Over the years, many young people remain deprived of understanding what handloom weaving is and what could be made out of it or how it could prove helpful in the present era.
If no solution is sought out soon, then India stands to lose not only the Gharcha pottery that is culturally so special to the region but millions of rural artisans will lose their bread and butter as well.
The contribution of the handloom sector in India does not lie only in the release of the GDP figures; it is a living legacy and emblem of independence and self-sufficiency. The worthy Swadeshi Movement that called for the non-purchase of British merchandise and supported hand spin and woven cloth like Khadi again awakened the significance of handloom textiles in the crusade of liberation.
After gaining their independence Indian government has set up several policies to give boost to the handloom industry. The bill for setting up khadi was passed in the year 1953 as Khadi and Other Handloom Industries Development Act and the All-India Handloom Fabrics Marketing Cooperative Society was set up in 1955 to market handloom products across the country.
The NHDP supported the handloom products both in production and marketing component and on the other hand the Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme provided Social Security to Handloom Weavers.
Among the recent changes, one should mention the Handloom Mark, being a hallmark that marks hand-woven products. More than protecting the interests of consumers it serves as a positive ground for the handloom weavers who get better access to compete in the national and international markets. Furthermore, the Indian government has spent a significant amount of money on the handloom sector; the current proposal includes financial help to 10000 weavers.
With the increasing consciousness of sustainable fashion, procurement of handloom fabric from India has slowly gained a global distinction. Fashion celebrities Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Ritu Kumar have built their business earlier on handwoven fabrics and teamed up with weavers to produce elaborate collections that reflect Indian ethnic identity.
They have talked about handlooms of the world from the sophisticated Banarasi silk to the assertive Ikkat and Ajrakh prints.
In addition to these high-fashion designers, several emerging indie brands are now trying to close the existing divide between the past and present. For example, Joskai Studio is a brand that draws its inspiration from the shawl-like outfit that the Tiwa community fashion from the Northeastern areas of India wears this brand directly employs the local weavers in the region.
In the same manner, Rouka by Sreejith Jeevan also collaborates with weavers of Kerala to build collections that pay tribute to the particular artistry of the said area including Chenda Mangalam sarees.
The partnerships involving traditional weavers with modern designers have not only reintroduced the handloom fabrics but have created new markets for the artisans among fashion-conscious people. Technological advancement in research also gives people the desire to buy age-old textiles that are called handwoven as a proper solution to regular clothing materials.
Handloom industries are the second largest employment generator in India after Agriculture which directly/indirectly empowers millions of weavers, especially in rural India. As per the Handloom Census 2019-20 conducted by the office of the Textile Commissioner, there are more than 35 lakh workers in this sector in India out of which 77.03% are women.
This makes the handloom industry not only a major contributor in the economic system but also a major means of rural income. India is also one of the biggest exporters of handloom products in the world and contributes greatly to its export market with goods like carpets, bed linen and silk scarves.
During 2021-22 handloom export crossed the mark of INR 1,600 crore. Moreover, prominent export zones comprising cities like Varanasi, Karur, and Panipat are dominant exports of handloom products due to the increasing demand for home textiles and complicated woven materials in the global market.
The way forward for the Indian handloom sector is going to be very complex. Though the government frames many schemes and spends money for these weavers, much needs to be done to implement these projects practically.
Large companies and designers cannot stop breaking long-term partnerships with craftsmen and updating their labour relations to fair and sustainable ones. There is therefore the need to embark on a campaign to educate the younger generation on the importance of handloom textiles.
It becomes crucial for India to rekindle the interest in handloom weaving by positioning these beauties of traditional crafts as sustainable, heritage and masterpieces of craftsmanship. From the existing literature, it is evident that if proper governmental backing, organizations’ sensitization, and people’s efforts are provided for Indian handloom, it has the potential to follow.
We live in a world that is progressively exploring sustainability and ‘ethical fashion’ thus it is quite clear that the exquisite quality of hand-woven fabrics as a form of traditional art will without a doubt hold a rightful spot in the global market for the next generation of the handloom industry in India.
