Integrated Handloom Cluster Development Program
Scheme of Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, New Delhi.

872 SHGs formed, covering 10755 weavers.         Wage enhancement of weavers by Rs 300 per month at Varanasi and Bhagalpur cluster.         342 awareness camps organized involving 40800 weavers from the cluster pockets.         4800 weavers registered under Insurance Scheme.         Credit linkages fro 642 weavers with banks –Rs 53.75 lakhs credit disbursed         47 dyers workshop organized with participant of 1300 dyers leading to improvement in dyeing technology         59 exhibition and 50 buyer seller meets organized with total sales realization of Rs 6.64 crores.         25 export procedure training program organized with active involvement of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and Handloom Export Promotion council New Delhi         800 new designs and product introduced         26 managerial Training organized for office bearers of consortium and local institutions         Establishment of 34 yarn Depot, total indent received by NHDC =Rs 84 lakhs         Showroom and display Arrangements -2         Product Catalogue developed by 20 cluster         Product inquiries received from 242 buyers and exporters, retailers and buying houses         Traditional looms -1580 looms upgraded by replacement of reels and heads         CFC & Dye houses –Proposal for 18 CFC and 16 Dye houses cleared by ministry as common facility center fro the weavers

FACE LIFT TO HANDLOOM SECTOR - An Imperative Beginning

Handloom Images

About The Sector

The handloom sector is one of the largest employers in India, providing employment to about 65 lakh persons. The sector represents the continuity of the age-old Indian heritage of hand weaving and reflects the socio-cultural tradition of the weaving communities. The Government of India has been following a policy of promoting and encouraging the handloom sector through a number of policies and programmes. Most of the schematic interventions of the Government of India in the Ninth and Tenth Plan period have been through the state agencies and cooperatives in the handloom sector. However in the face of growing competitiveness as well as opportunities emerging in the post liberalization environment, the logic of economic liberalization for handlooms will sooner or later, involve elimination of subsidies for handlooms. The issue has therefore, to be seen in the context of productivity, employment generation, protection and promotion of traditional skills and the need to provide a safety net to the poor in a Country where any economic programme must some how have target in this direction.

This sector is highly decentralised and dispersed and handloom weavers can be found in over 400 clusters in the country. In view of the high employment in the sector and cost disadvantages faced by handlooms compared to the Mill and Power loom sectors and due to the manual nature of production, the Govt. of India had been following a policy of protection of the Handloom sector since long. This policy consists of subsidy for production of yarn supply, marketing rebate on sales, and exemption from excise duty on hank yarn which has recently been discontinued.




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