The Union Government had declared 7th of August as the National Handloom Day in July 2015 with the objective of generating awareness about the importance of the handloom industry to the socio economic development of the country. August 7 was chosen as the National Handloom Day to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on this day in 1905 in Calcutta Town Hall to protest against the partition of Bengal by the British Government. The movement had aimed at reviving domestic products and production processes.The National Handloom Day is observed to honour the handloom weavers in the country and also highlight India’s handloom industry.
Handloom in India
The handloom sector has a unique place in the Indian economy and plays a vital role in terms of providing employment, cloth production and value addition while at the same time preserves India’s rich cultural heritage. The sector is key to women empowerment as over 70% of handloom weavers and allied workers are women. The sector provides direct and indirect employment to more than 43 lakh weavers and allied workers, mostly from the SC/ ST, backward and minority community.
The sector has been sustained by transferring of skills from one generation to another. The sector accounts for approximately 15% of textile production and makes a significant contribution in export earnings. Because of the uniqueness and exclusivity of designs, capability to produce small batch sizes and being eco-friendly fabric, handloom products are in high demand in the international market besides the domestic market and discerning retailers look for reliable sources for constant supply of authentic handloom products on a regular basis.
National Handloom Development Corporation
National Handloom Development Corporation Limited (NHDC) was set up in February, 1983 by the Government of India as a public sector undertaking under the ambit of Ministry of Textiles in pursuance of the imperative need for a national level agency to assist the speedy development of the handloom sector with the help of 09 regional offices and 37 branch offices.
Corporation is coordinating all actions covering the procurement and supply of inputs at reasonable prices, augmenting the marketing efforts of state handloom agencies and initiating developmental activities for upgrading the technology in the handloom sector and improving productivity. (NHDC), with a vision to achieve the objectives of faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth of handloom sector adopted focused, flexible and holistic approach to meet the challenges of domestic, global expansion of overall handloom market through strategic approach to facilitate the raw material supply to the weavers of the country.
