October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Page 38

FEATURE
GIVEN THEIR CONCENTRATION
IN RURAL AREAS, HANDLOOMS
OFFER CRITICAL SUSTENANCE
AND INDEPENDENCE TO WOMEN
ACROSS THE NATION.
economics of production have made these jobs
low-paying and the cost of production, high.
The recent rise in inflation and shifts in lifestyles
has also made it extremely difficult for handloom
workers to survive despite government subsidies.
POTENTIAL VALUE OF THE
HANDLOOM SECTOR
It is important to understand that the handloom
sector is not just about weavers and artisans.
While a large worker base within the sector is
devoted to traditional production methods, the
bulk of production takes place in industrial power
looms. As a result, the scale and speed of this
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October 2019
production is much faster and more essential
for trade. Currently, the Indian industry has more
than 2.4 million looms of various formats—these
are responsible for producing nearly 15 per cent
of all cloth in India. They are also responsible for
international trade (they generated more than
US$355 million in export revenue in 2017–18.)
In this regard, handloom production has led to
strong trade ties between India and major global
markets such as the United States (US), Italy, and
Germany, which are the top three importers of
Indian handloom products.
But this is only a small part of the value
the sector brings to the nation. Given their
concentration in rural areas, handlooms offer
critical sustenance and independence to women
across the nation. In general, the majority of
handloom workers are women, who total over
2.54 million nationwide. Women have always
been the cornerstone of the sector. Since its
very inception, the handloom sector has been a
source of women empowerment. It enables them
to work out of their households and generate
earnings for their families and themselves. As a
result, it has been helping the cause of women’s
rights and independence in rural India for over 70
years now.
Over time, the handloom sector has played
wielder of a valuable skill set for a large pool
of workers, thereby allowing them to achieve
control and agency over their lives and advance
the well-being of their families. This, however, is
not being currently nurtured in the market. These
workers are still a small part of the global supply
chain and gain no direct benefits from the global
industry that makes monies off their labour. A
major reason for this is, of course, the highly
unorganised structure of the handloom industry,
which is not able to propogate the quality and
value of their talent across global markets. The
challenge that they face is not only of shifting