Textiles secretary SK Panda has expressed optimism about the future of the handloom sector. At a meeting in New Delhi to discuss the revival of handloom, with particular focus on increasing earning of handloom weavers, Panda asserted that concern for the handloom weavers should guide all interventions of state and non-state actors, according to an official statement.
He outlined the context in which the handloom weavers operate, and the various policy interventions that Government of India has been making in order to improve the earning of handloom weavers. He highlighted the potential of technology based interventions such as online marketing and of the financial inclusion scheme Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. Panda concluded by saying that youth, fashion and technology hold the key to the future of handloom.
Panda’s address was followed by a panel discussion on the subject. Other than Panda, the panel consisted of Sudha Pillai IAS (Retd.), former member secretary of the planning commission; Jaya Jaitley, leading fashion designer Ritu Kumar and a leading industry representative and founder of Good Earth, Anita Lal.
The panel discussed the need to excite the younger generation about handlooms, the diversity of marketing opportunities available to promote handlooms, the need for innovations in design and weaving processes and the need for customer education. The panel acknowledged that the weavers service centres were being strengthened and were being given top priority by the central government, the statement said.