Abstract


Handloom forms a precious part of the generational legacyand exemplifies the richness and diversity of our culture and artistry of theweavers. Tradition of weaving by hand is a part of the countrys culturalethos. It represents an ancient craft with rich heritage providing a greatsource of sustenance for millions of artisans. It is estimated that handloomindustry provides employment to approximately 65 lakhs workforces directly orindirectly and about 35 lakhs of handlooms in numerous varieties are scatteredall over the country. The element of art and craft present in Indian handloomsmakes it a potential sector for the upper segments of domestic and globalmarkets. Handloom sector has been catering fully to the domestic niche andcheap markets, as well as value-added exports in the international markets andare still playing a vital role owing to its indispensable performance for thespecial quality of products mainly either of silk or of cotton fibres withadequate aristocracy. Handloom is unparalleled in its flexibility andversatility, permitting experimentation and encouraging innovation. However, inthe present context of globalization and rapid technological developments,handloom sector is beset with many challenges and the handloom products arebeing replicated on powerlooms at much lower price. There is a need tostrengthen this sector given the employment potential and market demand forhandloom products. Hence product diversification through innovative printing isvery much essential for the survival of this rich cultural heritage of India. Innovative and novel designs can be produced on handloom cotton fabric by adoptingdifferent innovative printing methods without involving costly infrastructureto create fancy effect on the handloom products for the ever changing fashionmarket.


Introduction


Handloom textiles constitute a timeless facet of the richcultural heritage of India. Handloom sectors have been acknowledged by everyoneas the biggest source of employment and is a traditional profession beingpracticed in India for centuries together. This sector occupies a place secondonly to agriculture in providing livelihood to the people. It is estimated thathandloom industry provides employment to 65 lakh workforces directly or indirectlyand there are about 35 lakh handlooms spread all over India. The production ofhandloom fabrics is estimated to be approximately 6536 million square metersduring 2006-07 (Annual Report 2007-08, Ministry of Textile) and contributes 16%of total textile production in India. The element ofart and craft present in Indian handlooms makes it a potential sector for the domestic niche and cheap markets, as well asvalue-added exports in the international markets. It is expected that withincreasing population and prosperity, the domestic and international marketsize will expand and per capita consumption will increase. The sector has anedge over the powerloom and mill sectors in its ability to commercially producethe goods in small volumes, openness to innovations, switch over to newdesigns, adoptability to suit suppliers requirement and creation of exquisitedesign. However, in the present context of globalization, the sector is besetwith manifold problems and challenges. With the technological developments, thehandloom products are being increasingly replicated on powerlooms at much lowercost. Hence product diversification through weaving and innovative printing isvery much essential for the survival of handloom sector. Weaving on handloomsis predominantly cotton; the future yarn consumption pattern is expected to beequality shared between cotton and other fibres.



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About the Author


Dr. Maulikholds M. Tech in the field of Fibre Science & Technology from IndianInstitute of Technology, Delhi and completed his PhD (Engineering) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He has a rich experience of almost 13 years of industrial,research and teaching experience in the field of Chemical Processing ofTextile. He also had published 30 research and review articles in differentinternational and national level journals and presented his research findingsin different national level conference and seminars. Presently he is attachedto Visva-Bharati University as Lecturer.