INDIA’S HANDLOOM
SECTOR
K.Rajendran
Nair*
With a long tradition
of excellence in its craftsmanship India’s handloom textile sector
occupies a place of eminence in preserving its heritage and culture.
The level of artistry and intricacy achieved in the handloom fabrics
is unparalleled and beyond the scope of modern machinery. It caters
to the needs of a diverse cultural ethos ranging from exquisite
fabrics which take months to weave to popular items of mass production
for daily use. Hand-weaving is one of the richest and the most
resilient media of ethnic expression.
The number of
handloom weavers and others engaged in weaving and allied activities
is 65.50 lakh. It is estimated that this sector provides livelihood
to 124 lakh people. Despite the unrestricted scope and opportunities,
the dispersed and unorganised nature of handloom industry has
been facing constraints on its sustenance such as traditional
production technique, low level of technology and skills; lack
of modernisation, quality upgradation, and research and development;
lack of adequate, even and timely supply of inputs; lack of product
and design innovation; non-availability of adequate and timely
credit facilities; lack of skill upgradation of weavers in designing,
dyeing, printing and processing; and inadequate organisational,
marketing and technical support.
To equip the handloom
sector to cope with these constraints, the Government has been
implementing several central sector and Centrally-sponsored schemes.
On these schemes, the Central Government had spent Rs. 478 crore
from Plan budget and Rs. 251 crore from non-Plan funds during
the 9th Plan. An outlay of Rs. 625 crore has been fixed for the
10th Plan period.
Schemes
The Government
launched an integrated and comprehensive Centrally-sponsored scheme
called Deen Dayal Hatkargha Protsahan Yojana (DDHPY) to take care
of a wide gamut of activities, such as, product development, infrastructure
and institutional support, training of weavers, supply of equipment
and marketing support both at micro and macro levels in a co-ordinated
manner for an overall development of the sector and benefit to
the handloom weavers. This scheme came into effect on April 1,
2000 for implementation. The total cost of the scheme is Rs. 690.60
crore. Out of this the States’ share is Rs. 327.80 crore. The
balance amount forms the Central outlay for this scheme. So far
20 States have implemented this scheme. An outlay of Rs. 310 crore
has been provided for this scheme during the 10th Plan period.
A National Centre
for Textile Design was set up in Delhi in January 2001 with a
view to providing design, technical and market intelligence support
to the textile sector in general and handlooms in particular.
The Centre also organises exhibitions of exclusive handloom fabrics
for the benefit of weavers and exporters. The Government has been
spending nearly Rs. 75 lakh per annum on the activities of this
Centre.
The pattern of assistance
under the Workshed-cum-Housing Scheme was revised and during the
last three years of the 9th Plan alone, sums amounting to Rs.
37.25 crore were released by the Central Government for the construction
of 31,064 units of Worksheds/Worksheds-cum-Houses for handloom
weavers.
The Government had
already been implementing a scheme through the National Handloom
Development Corporation (NHDC) for supplying yarn to weavers at
prices at which it is available at mill gates. During the 9th
Plan period supplies were stepped up from a quantity of 118.69
lakh kg in 1997-98 to 195.58 kg in 2001-02.
Keeping in view the
problems faced by the weavers in some States on account of unsold,
accumulated stocks with them, the Prime Minister, in his address
to the nation on August 15, 2002, had announced a scheme with
an outlay of Rs. 100 crore for the grant of a special rebate @
10 per cent of the value of the stock sold, so as to enable the
weavers or organisations to liquidate the stock by organising
sales at discounted prices and to kick-start their production
cycle.
The Prime Minister
also announced another scheme with an outlay of Rs. 125 crore
for imparting training to one lakh handloom weavers and artisans
in technical, managerial and marketing skills to enable them to
produce and market high value and diversified quality products
in keeping with the current trends in domestic and international
markets. He had also further announced the implementation of a
Special Contributory Insurance Scheme for the weavers and artisans.
The impact of these
schemes has been quite significant. The production of handloom
fabrics increased from 6860 million sq. mtrs in 1997-98 to 7585
million sq. mtrs in 2001-02. Today, this sector contributes 19
per cent of the total cloth production and 15 per cent of the
total export of fabrics from India. Over 125 countries are now
buying handloom products from India. There is a growing awareness
among the weavers about the technological improvements available
for increasing production and productivity and reducing fatigue
of the weavers. There is a growing realisation that the handloom
sector should tune itself for continuous diversification and innovation
reflecting the trends and fashions in home textiles and clothing
as it is a growing and expanding market favoured by high end consumer
segment. There is a visible effort to revive the traditional designs
and introduce innovations to meet the emerging trends.
Handicrafts
The handicrafts
sector has a special significance in the country’s economy in
terms of employment generation as well as earning of foreign exchange
through exports. It is estimated that during the 9th Plan period,
employment in the handicrafts sector increased from 52.92 lakh
in 1997-98 to 58.41 lakh by the end of the Plan. The office of
the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts has been implementing
several schemes for the development of this sector. The schemes
aim at design and technical upgradation, export promotion, marketing
support and services, research and development and training and
extension.
An important
initiative taken by the Government has been the launch of a new
scheme : Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY) during
the year 2001-02. This scheme aims at promoting Indian handicrafts
by developing artisans’ clusters into professionally managed and
self-reliant community enterprises on the principles of effective
member participation and mutual co-operation. The package of support
under AHVY has social, technological, marketing, welfare and financial
components. During 2001-02, 222 project proposals were sanctioned
under the scheme involving an expenditure to the tune of Rs. 355.62
lakh. For the year 2002-03, the outlay for this scheme was Rs.
880 lakh.
Export earnings from
handicrafts including hand-knotted carpets were to the tune of
Rs. 5835 crore during the first year of the 9th Plan. It increased
to Rs. 9205.63 crore during the terminal year of the Plan. The
export target for the year 2002-03 was Rs. 10,470 crore. Exports
to the extent of Rs. 7511.42 crore had been achieved by December
2002 itself.
Sericulture
India continues
to be the second largest producer of silk in the world. It produces
all the four varieties of silk, namely, mulberry, eri, tasar and
muga. Sericulture is an important, labour-intensive and agro-based
cottage industry providing gainful occupation to more than 5 million
people. Silk production increased from 7600 metric tonnes (MT)
in 1985 to 17347 MT in the year 2001-02, and the estimated production
during 2002-03 is 18700 MT. Silk items being exported comprise
natural silk yarn, fabrics, made-ups, ready-made garments, silk
carpets and silk wastes. The earnings from exports of these items
amounted to Rs. 2235.38 crore during 2001-02
Woollen Textile
Industry
The woollen industry
in the country is comparatively small in size and widely dispersed.
Most of the units are located in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.
Some of the larger units are located in Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal. There are 718 registered woollen
units in the country. The number of persons employed in this industry
is approximately 12 lakh.
The production
of indigenous wool in the country is estimated to have risen from
47.91 million kg in 1999-2000 to 52.11 million kg in 2001-02.
Since indigenous production of fine quality wool required by the
organised mills and the decentralised hosiery sector is very limited,
India depends largely on import, mainly from Australia. New Zealand
wool, which is rich in lustre, is imported primarily for the carpet
sector. The total imports of wool during 2000-01 and 2001-02 were
to the tune of 53.75 million kg and 72.49 million kg respectively.
(PIB Features)
*Former
Development Commissioner(Handlooms)
