The unseen potential of the Indian Handloom Industry

-Megha Menon

We live in a world filled with the most modern trends of splendid style and breathtaking vogue. Top-notch brands, expensive watches, stylish footwear, and the list would just go on if we ever had to define fashion in our terms. But how many of us are aware of the routes that led to the creation of this glamorous “FASHION INDUSTRY’?

The path from Colonial to Contemporary

Well, it originates further than our mind; the Great Indus Valley Civilization, when this was a self-sufficient sector with just exports of certain fabric coming in from Rome, China, and Egypt.

With every village having its own set of weavers, handloom took off with a boom of a bright and promising future.

The process of cloth making was always simple and self-reliant where the tools were made of wood including the world-famous spinning wheel or Charkha which ran with no usage of electricity or extra costs. The cotton was collected and cleaned by the foresters which were then spun on the looms and the final fabric extracted is what we call the traditional Handloom.

This undoubtedly is the most sustainable and eco-friendly way of production to date with no harm caused to the environment or any living creature.

Evasion or Development?

But colonial rule took away this magnificent asset which we possessed since time immemorial and with the incoming of man-made machines and a coercive conversion of India to an exporter of raw cotton, the livelihood of uncountable weavers was destroyed giving more and more power to the middlemen alongside taking away the independence and originality from these cloth makers. The industry was heavily affected and damaged by this foreign rule which automatically led to its decline.

Post-independence or in the current scenario, Handloom has picked up but has not exactly revived its true potential as they still face heavy competition from cheap imports, new coming brands, and insufficient funding from the Government with no stringent policies of protection. Also, with natural fiber becoming expensive, handloom is no longer reasonable for purchase by a common man

A vulnerable sector indeed!

Reality of Handloom Industry

In the world of handloom, they would always say that the hands of the weaver mattered the most and that every work would be unique and differentiated because of the creator behind it. Sadly, they aren’t given enough opportunities anymore to exhibit this spectacular culture but that doesn’t mean that the sector is not of relevance.

It is one of the largest economic activities providing direct employment to over 65 lakhs persons engaged in weaving and allied activities. This sector contributes nearly 19% of the total cloth produced in the country and also adds substantially to export earnings.

The strength of Handloom is unparalleled and is all about innovativeness in design. It is flexible, versatile and can never be compared to Power loom. Handloom also displays the richness of artistry and the diversity of our one true nation. Not to forget it is one of the best ways to step into self- sufficiency by boosting domestic demand and reducing the heavy imports.

So just like every painting is a masterpiece, every handloom is a work of art too.

Let’s give this generational legacy a promise of preservation after all handloom is a timeless piece of our heritage.