Being the symbol of India’s cultural heritage, India’s Handlooms industries are the personification of how a small and mostly, non-technical sector can provide a robust basis to socio-economic development with the holistic exemplification of empowering women in the manufacturing sector, as 70 % of the handloom weavers are women. Evolved from the time when India was struggling to reinforce the Swadeshi movement, which is now reflected as Atmanirbhar Bharat, Indian handloom belongs to one of the oldest industries in the history of human civilization.
Indian handloom Sector provides around 95 % of the global production of hand-woven fabric. Known for unique designs and local franchises, the Indian handloom industry possesses about a 15 % share of the total cloth production in India. Also, it owns around 4.3 million people which are directly and indirectly involved in the production and manufacturing unit.
The reports say that the handloom products gave a notable export rate of about 343 million dollars in the Fiscal Year 2019. Despite the post-pandemic suffering, handloom woven products gave the export of 7.55 million dollars between April 2020 and February 2021. Not only this, the US was the major importer of Indian Handloom products with an estimated purchase of around 83 million dollars. This was followed by Australia, Germany, and France which is sufficient enough to prove that the Indian handlooms sector is, in no way lagging among the contribution sectors to Atmanirbhar Bharat. The main contribution handloom industry is to generate potential employers in the form of rural and non-farm employment.
Growth Chapter of Indian Handloom sector
Transcending the general aspiration trend according to which, every country aspires its all the industries should survive, Indian handlooms not only survived but witnessed the steady growth along with inheriting the industrial-strength like the adaptability of innovation and flexibility in operations. The reports have shown that cloth production during 1980-81 was 3109 million sq. m which was 24 % of the total production. Till 1999-2000, Handloom sustained the constant share of 24 %.
The survival and growth express of the Handloom Sector in the 19th and 20th centuries have been discussed now and then, in many reports. The special one is this aspect is the traditional artisan-based organizational form as well as the techniques incorporated to produce different types of patterns. The key point for the survival and growth consistency is the ability of the Indian handloom sector to mould itself as per the challenges of the transiting environment and the markets which are served by the handloom sectors.
Unshackling the supply chain for the Big industries
Indian handlooms industries, being unparallel in terms of the flexibility, versatility, permissibility to experimentation and encouraging the innovation possess immense strength od ability to introduce innovative designs which are needed to rejuvenating the large scale industries. The handloom sector is undoubted, most important cottage industry next to agriculture.
In the textile industries, the co-existence of the mills, power looms, handlooms and khadi is one of the most significant panoramas of how the handlooms are supporting the big textiles manufacturing industries. Though the modern machinery systems and technology do not coincide with the hand-woven artisanship, still, handlooms stand firm in the hope of securing a position of pride in the large scale manufacturing sector.
The distinct properties of drape, texture, strength can be attained with the exclusive hand-weaved fabrics and yarns which can drive the supply chain of the raw materials for large scale industries.
As far as the modern machinery of big-scale industries is concerned, they are unable to manufacture the extremely delicate and fine yarns. This is more safely and precisely done by the handlooms with a huge lightness in jerks. Also, the power looms powerful frictional action is a hindrance in the polishing the clothes interwoven with the gold and silver threads, which is a trademark of the handlooms.
“I have no better or other message than that of ‘Spinning Wheels’ for the nation. I know no other effective method for the attainment of Swaraj if it is to be by peaceful and legitimate means,” said Mahatma Gandhi, whose ideas on CHARKHA were the background to the Indian handlooms Industry.
Holding on the Hands of Handlooms
Despite the performance of the Handlooms in the country, the study of handlooms is not recognized at the level which it deserves. Most of the academic work is tending to become a topic of history. As the current climate of the globalisation and international market is demanding a more modern and advanced approach, they poise handlooms to be at the tip of uncertainty.
To make the present and future generation assess the prospects of the handlooms industries, there is a strong need of upholding the handlooms industry. The initiatives like establishing the Handloom Export Promotion council are the specimen of how the handlooms sector should be kept in the lap of requisite privileges. Handlooms cannot only exist but flourish the Atmanirbhar Bharat, envisaging the self-reliability in the manufacturing sector.