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Topic : VIRAASAT: Handloom Expo
GS-3 Mains : Economy
In News: National Handloom Development Corporation Ltd (NHDC) organizing handloom expo till 16th Aug 2024.
VIRAASAT:
- Exclusive Handloom Expo series.
- Continuation of National Handloom Day celebrations.
- Focus on glorious tradition of Handloom and Handicrafts.
- Provides market connection to handloom weavers and artisans.
Handloom and Textile Sector:
- Encompasses yarn, fabric, and garment production.
- Diverse range of fabrics and garments using traditional techniques.
- Includes organized and unorganized segments (spinning, weaving, garment manufacturing).
- Significant contributor to GDP and employment.
- Unique products like Banarasi, Jamdani, Baluchari, Madhubani, Kosa, Ikkat, Patola, Tussar Silk, Maheshwari, Moirang Phee, Baluchari, Phulkari, Laheriya, Khandua, Tangaliya attract global customers.
Importance:
- Livelihoods opportunities and economic development: employs 35 lakh people.
- Cultural Heritage: represents centuries-old traditions, regional diversity, intricate designs.
- Empowering Women: provides economic independence.
- Eco-friendly: less capital-intensive, minimal power usage.
- Authenticity: offers uniqueness compared to machine-made fabrics.
- Other benefits: flexibility, innovation, adaptability to exports.
Challenges:
- Unorganized Structure: independent weavers or small clusters, lack of systemized production.
- Market Access and lack of modernity: struggle to access markets directly, reliance on traditional techniques.
- Infrastructure gaps, skill limitations, design constraints.
Steps:
- Government schemes for branding high-quality products, zero defects, zero effect on environment.
- Swadeshi Movement (7th Aug 1905) encouraged indigenous industries, including handlooms.
- National Handloom Day (7th Aug) since 2015.
- Handloom Mark scheme for certification and promotion.
- Comprehensive Handloom Development Scheme for financial aid, skill development, market access.
- National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP): Concessional Credit, Handloom Marketing Assistance, Block Level Clusters.
Conclusion and Way Forward:
- Dynamic and integral part of India’s economy, blending tradition with modernity.
- Government support, sustainability, innovation for future growth.
- Empower handloom weavers, instill pride in craftsmanship.
- Technological upgradation for productivity and quality.
- Strengthen local supply chains.
- Focus on 3S (skill, speed, scale) for ‘Viksit Bharat’ and $250 billion production, $100 billion exports by 2030.
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