October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Página 40

FEATURE
SO FAR, THE GOVERNMENT’S
APPROACH HAS BEEN TO
LEVERAGE HANDLOOMS AND
OTHER COTTAGE INDUSTRIES AS
MERE AVENUES OF EMPLOYMENT.
consumer demographics but also the absence of
adequate marketing and promotion for their work.
REVIVING HANDLOOMS
It is important to note that the Indian handloom
industry is the second largest provider of
employment for rural people. Over the last five
years, it has garnered over US$1.8 billion in
handloom sales across 125 countries. This is
only a glimpse of what Indian handlooms can
achieve—especially those from an ethnic and
traditional format—in the global market. So far,
the Government’s approach has been to leverage
handlooms and other cottage industries as
mere avenues of employment for the growing
population. This has led to less focus being
applied to how the industry itself can actually
flourish in the market. In lieu of worker advocacy,
we are witnessing major corporations licensing
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I APPAREL I
October 2019
khadi as a means to tap into this long-standing
artisanal prowess and thereafter, even potential
revenue.
This is where the true revival of traditional
weavers, handloom, and artisans begins. There
is a dire need for government intervention, not
just in the form of loan waivers or subsidies,
but in terms of incentivising lasting partnerships
between corporations and handloom artisans.
By combining modern business with exquisite
forms of artistry from the nation’s heartland,
we can expect to see the handloom having a
resurgence. Currently, India exports over US$14
billion’s worth of apparel every year, a number
that can be significantly boosted if the traditional
and heritage-driven handloom sector is given the
right promotional support. This strategy would
encourage large businesses to marry their
access and expertise in consumer marketing to
the high-quality products being produced across
the nation.
The handloom sector cannot be saved on
government charity alone. It requires bold new
thinking and an innovative business approach
that is modelled on the core values of the
industry. By retaining women-led operations of
the handloom, connecting its fragmented strands,
and strategically promoting it across international
markets, the sector may once again flourish
and thrive. Given the current progressive trends
towards gender-inclusivity, sustainable apparel,
and digital sales, traditional Indian handlooms are
perfectly positioned to make massive gains. The
world has long been primed for the traditional
Indian loom but so far, the steps necessary
to authentically bring it to the fore have been
missing.
The only question then is whether innovation
will arrive before time has run out for this fledgling
industry. We can only wait and watch.