The Government has implemented a number of initiatives to support the nation’s handloom industry. The Ministry of Textiles is putting the National Handloom Development Programme and Raw Material Supply Scheme into action all across the nation in order to offer comprehensive support for the development of the handloom industry and the welfare of handloom workers.
Financial assistance is given to eligible handloom organisations and/or workers under the National Handloom Development Programme for upgraded looms and accessories, solar lighting units, building worksheds, product and design development, technical and shared infrastructure, marketing handloom products in domestic and international markets, etc.
Weavers’ MUDRA Loan/Concessional Credit Scheme offers interest subvention, credit guarantee costs, and aid with margin money for individual weavers and Handloom Organisations during a three-year period.
The wellbeing of handloom workers has been taken into consideration through the provision of life and accidental insurance, scholarships for further education for their heirs, etc. The criteria also stipulate that Awardee weavers who are 60 years of age or older and living in poverty may get financial assistance.
Under the Raw Material Supply Scheme, the Ministry offers 15% price subsidies on cotton hank yarn, domestic silk, woollen and linen yarn, and blended yarn made of natural fibres, as well as transport subsidies for yarn delivery to the beneficiary’s door.
The Handloom Export Promotion Council has been taking part in and organising international marketing fairs and events to promote Indian handloom products for export and raise their profile internationally.
Since the ‘India Handloom’ brand was established in 2015 to encourage the export of domestic textiles, around two thousand new products have been registered under it, according to the Ministry of Textiles. The ‘India Handloom’ brand has 1,998 new registrations within its 184 product categories, according to the Government, since August 2015.
Additionally, the Government ordered its offices to source 25% of all textile purchases from neighbourhood co-ops, self-help organisations, or handloom clusters. According to the press release, states and UTs were asked to instruct their State Handloom Corporations/Co-ops/Agencies to buy the finished inventory that the handloom weavers had available.
