Handloom Industry In India

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Handloom Industry in India

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Introduction

The mention of the word handloom certainly evokes the reader’s mind to think of India.

This is based on the fact that this has undoubtedly been key in the growth of the nation to the

extent of being critical to its history. The definition of the word means merely the loom that is

driven by the hands or legs or by the combination of both. In India, handloom industry means

more than the definition given above. This is based on the fact that it has been of significant

impact and it has undoubtedly been pivotal in driving the nation’s culture as well as the economy

over the years. India is a country that has created a niche of its own when it comes to making of

high-quality fabrics. Those that have been able to acquire the skills of working as handloom

weaver or hand spinner have been a key segment in the Indian culture in the sense that their

services have certainly been on a high demand over the years dating back in the 18th century.

History of Handloom Industry in India

The weaving industry in India can be traced back to the days of Indus Valley Civilization.

This was the period when the cotton textiles and weaving looms found its strong presence. This

was the same period that people majorly used homespun cotton when it came to weaving looms

as well as other textiles products. The end products were majorly finely woven cotton as well as

the dyed cotton fabrics. The shuttles were the ones that were found at the excavated sites in the

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form of the unused material which was majorly in raw material form. One of these sites that

certainly stand out is certainly the Mohenjo Daro site which is one of the famous places when it

comes to the textile industry in India. Over the years there have been images that have been

taken of the first Indian fabric that was indeed effective for many years. The industry may have

changed with the introduction of technology, but indeed there is much of history of the initial

handloom industry before the current modernization that has happened over time.

The industry’s successes majorly relied on the available market. This is based on the fact

that over the years there has been much exporting of the fine fabrics to other parts of the world

notably China and Indonesia as well as the Far East. This was majorly the case back in the 13th

century just before the Europeans had started making inroads into India. Later on the market also

expanded to some parts of Europe.

Types of Weaving Traditions

Due to the diverse and wider size of the market, it was divided into three different

weaving categories or traditions. There was the rural, the classical and the tribal. The rural

category of the weaving tradition majorly represented the familiar and unchanging patterns that

were so synonymous with the rural life of the Indians (Agnihotri, 2015). The design of the

weaved material displayed figures of things that were so family and easily identifiable with any

Indian who was living in the rural part of the nation. This is indeed clear when it comes to the

kind of the images of the animals, plants and human beings that appealed to all. This is the

reason why these are exactly what certainly summed up most of the designs.

The second category as initially mentioned is classical. This weaving tradition certainly

revolved around royalty and court life. The symbols, as well as the forms of the weaving designs,

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were dependent on who was in the position of power as the ruler. This is so clear that it was

indeed a key thing in the sense that it was a form of paying patronage to the ruler of the country

and sometimes even the ruler of the region hence a couple of unique designs based on the nature

and personality as well as the varied list of the things the ruler liked. The geographical location

came to being since each, and every region had its leader hence the all the fabric that was woven

to some extent had to have the form of elements or elegance that surely displayed this.

The last category is none other than the tribal. Unlike the insinuation brought about by

the name of the weaving tradition, this was majorly done to demonstrate the bold geometric

patterns. These patterns were mostly done in strong primary colors and mostly on simple looms

that were made up of bamboo.

The Evolution of the Traditional Handloom

The whole sector changed with time. The most notable line of evolution in this sector was

after the introduction of Islam in the country. Unlike the flaccid and a bit free kind of approach

that had been used in the past, there was certainly a massive change that came when Islam took

over. This is undoubtedly based on the fact that the diversity of the nation that had mostly been

displayed through the diverse culture was certainly curtailed by what later came to be so rigid

approach. It is indeed clear that most of the things became so difficult (Peters & Bajpai, 2017.).

The fact that the religion to some extent limited the extent to which people could be free and

express their creativity this was mainly because of the reality that it was discrete. The curtailing

of the freedom made it so hard for new designs to be created mostly for those who had

subscribed to the Islamic religion. To some extent, this played a key role in slowing down the

level of creativity that had initially been witnessed in the country’s handloom’s sector.

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The large wallpaper designs that were introduced are as a replacement of the initial

Indian tradition clearly showed that there was indeed some form of rigidness (Hazarika &

Goswami, 2018). This is well epitomized in the dropping of the traditional Indian motifs in

favor of the wallpaper that had been mentioned. The situation was even worsened in the sense

that the value of the conventional weaving approach was certainly watered down when the pastel

shades were introduced and incorporated which for sure made it very difficult for any form of

creativity in the industry (Dhar, 2016). The importation of the Indian Zari from the abroad

specifically in Belgium was undoubtedly a big set down since the local industry since this meant

that locally available material could no longer be used. This also meant that the individuals that

used to earn a living out of this could hardly make anything work.

The final aspect of the revolution of the industry was certainly the replacing the

traditional silk with the synthetic fibers that were some of them having been imported. This

affected to some extent the manner in which people work in the country. This is because this was

something that people had treated so dearly. It was certainly the backbone of the nation in its

literal sense. This was certainly one of those things that made it very possible for people to have

a living, but sadly this was one thing that had negatively impacted the manner in which the

society was coexisting since this was to some extent the basis of most of the societal interactions

in the country. While others were so much into the making of the material that was to be used in

the actual weaving, others were indeed in the actual act of weaving (Naik, 2017). The raft of

measures that were introduced played a crucial role in dismantling what many had known to be

life to them for so many years. This was indeed a setback that changed the course of what had

promised to the Indian version of gold more so the ordinary people who relied on the weaving

skills as well as those who had fabric snipping skills.

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It is indeed evident that the introduction of the British into the mix during the

colonization certainly complicated the sector way further thereby making what complicated extra

hard was. It may have seemed as if things were to get better at some point that is after the

introduction of Islam but indeed the entry of the British colonizers in the country sent the sector

in deeper disarray (Kumar, 2015). It was arguably one of the worst things ever to the sector since

the production system and approach was changed. The introduction of the intermediaries in the

name of the financiers certainly messed much of the things. This was a unique and effective way

of controlling production in that the producer did not have any control over the market anymore

and the customers did not have the chance to express themselves as it had been the case. This is

based on the fact those their textile miles that were introduced in the country which certainly

affected the manner in which everything happens.

The period just before the First World War was a form of reconnaissance to the industry

in that the business was certainly booming and the demand for the handloom based products was

certainly very high. This was certainly one of the periods that the local people celebrated the

only challenge was the fact that this was certainly not to be long-lasting. The period before this

had been marked by a mixture returns. This was mainly based on the fact that the introduction of

Yarn which was very expensive hence forcing the locals who were still in the handloom industry

that is traditional weavers to look for financers to fund their projects. Those who were not able to

get the finance were ready to go to Mahajans to work on a contract basis or a wage basis. This

was to some extent a new revolution to the industry.

Analysis of the Industry

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To give a better analysis of the handloom industry in the country, it will be effective

when SWOT analysis is used. This is to simply mean that there will need to explain all the four

elements of the SWOT analysis highlighting the strengths that the handloom industry is facing or

has been facing in the recent past. It is also going to highlight the weaknesses the industry has

certainly been facing be it back in the days or most recently. Another key thing is the aspect of

the available opportunities as well as the threats that industry has been facing over the years.

This will be key in giving a concrete picture of the handloom industry in India looks like. The

diversity brought about by the SWOT analysis approach is indeed great in the extent it still

provides the room to talk about some of the detailed aspect of the company as far as economic

and financial performance is concerned. The fact that it helps in placing a finger on what is doing

it helps to understand if the reason for its growth or decline is internal or external now that the

sector seems to be on the decline.

Strengths

There is a huge source of raw material in the country. This is banked on the fact that the

country is one of the largest exporters of Yarn globally (Lynch, 2016). It currently contributes to

about 25% of the total Cotton Yarn globally. This is indeed a huge strength which means that

handloom industry still has the chance to roll back its glory days as it was back in the days. The

apparel industry is arguably one of the largest industries in the country contributing over 12% of

the country’s total export. The only change from the initial set up is that the country is exporting

some sort of raw materials as opposed to exporting the final products.

The country has huge variety of products when it comes to the fabrics in that there are

many Cotton Yarn based products in the country which has certainly played a key role in the

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country’s economy. There is a huge variety of cotton fiber and the synthetic fiber industry. The

diversity has certainly been in the sense that it has been a key way of accommodating many

when it comes to workers but at the same time, it has also ensured the diversification of the final

products made which means a wider market.

It is indeed clear that over time the Indian economy has been growing and it is certainly

spelled new dawn for the industry (Das, 2015). The manufacturing flexibility has certainly been

a key thing that has given a wider scope to the stakeholders hence presenting a wider

opportunity. This is indeed great in the sense that if the people have been able to sort of invest in

one area, they can certainly sort of try and major in a different segment of this very industry.

Another key thing has been the availability of the huge market in the country as well as

the external market. Unlike the other products whose market is unstable in the sense that the

demand is fluctuating, this market is one that is certainly available. The fact that the Indian

market alone is in millions of people and yet there is a huge potential for exporting to the foreign

nations due to the high quality of the Yarn that is produced in India. It is also clear that the fact

that the local market alone has not been well addressed in the sense that some needs have not

been fully addressed shows that there is need to rise to the bar and deliver.

The cheap labor in the country that is certainly low cost and at the same time it is very

skilled has certainly been of great impact to the industry. It is through the cost-effective labor

that has undoubtedly played a key role in giving this industry a competitive age when compared

to other key players in the same industry. Many people prefer the Indian based fabric since they

are cheaper and the quality is undoubtedly high. Over the years, there has been an increase in the

exported handloom based products has increased to 4.44 Rs.ln.cr)(6) in 2000 to about 3170

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Rs.ln.cr)(6) in the year 2009. This is a clear show that there has been a continuous trend of

increased export for this very product.

The country has a huge value chain which has been key in advancing the spinning sector.

The value chain has been able to reduce the number of processes taken into action when it comes

to the spinning sector, but at the same, it has also been key in reducing the cost of making the

final product. This has certainly been key in reducing the cost of the final product made. It has

also been key in enhancing the quality of the product since through the value chain there has

been the aspect of value addition along the process.

Weakness

The Indian handloom industry is indeed very fragmented. This has been a huge

challenge. This is based on the fact that there has been a huge failure on the side of the policy

implementation. It is indeed clear that this has certainly downplayed the need for industry’s

unity. This is actually when it comes to the massive decline in the year 1995-1996 when the

sector declined from 6 percent when it comes to the percentage of the mill sector when compared

to the rest of the handloom industry (Roy, 2017). The decline was from 6% to 4% in the years

mentioned. At the same time, the general sector decline was actually from 23 percent to 18

percent during this period. One of the reasons behind this was certainly was the nature of the

sector which was certainly disintegrated. The effect of the decline is also felt in all the sectors

except for the power loom sector and the hosiery sector which increased by 6% and 1%

respectively. The strong competition in the market has also been another key thing that has

certainly been one of the key reasons for the decline of the sector. Apart from the external

competition from other materials, there has been to some extent some structural competition as

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witnessed between the years 1896 and 1900 whereby there was a competition between handloom

and the mills when it comes to making of cotton made products. While the mills claimed to have

used about 85 million pounds of yarn annually in the manufacturing of clothes the handlooms

used not less than 200 million pounds of yarn.

Opportunities

It is indeed clear that this has the possibility of offering employment and at the same time

reduces the cost of operation. This is anchored on the fact that the handloom has created over

20% extra jobs in the country. This is also based on the fact that the exports from this industry

have also increased by over 20%. This is a definite show that there is a relationship between the

growth of the industry and the amount of work employment opportunities that are created. This

is apparently to mean that if they organize the sector and restructure it, they are likely to have a

positive impact on the employment opportunities in the country. The current growth rate of the

textile segment of the handloom industry is about 6-8% per annum which is indeed impressive.

Threats

Currently, there is a huge demand that is not being met be it locally or externally. Locally

there is about 22 percent of the demand that has not been adequately addressed or is not being

met. If this trend goes on many may end up importing the material from the other thing. The

internal labor laws are also another key thing that the country has been forced to address in line

with the international labor laws. This certainly means there the wages will undoubtedly go up

hence the total cost of the product will also be higher than the normal one in the long run.

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References

Agnihotri, M.P., 2015. Dead End at the Silk Road: The Possible Revival of the Banaras

Handloom Industry. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 8(8), pp.30-38.

Aman, A., 2015. An analysis of growth distribution and employment in the Handloom industry

in Uttar pradesh since 1981.

Bhalla, K., Kumar, T. and Rangaswamy, J., 2018. An Integrated Rural Development Model

based on Comprehensive Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Khadi-Handloom Industry in

Rural India. Procedia CIRP, 69, pp.493-498.

Das, C., Roy, M. and Mandal, P., 2016. Handloom cluster of India: A Case Study of Shantipur

Handloom Cluster. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Intervention, 5(1),

pp.27-35.

Das, S., 2015. Managing the Weavers’ Crisis of Dhanekhali Handloom Industry. International

Journal of Engineering and Science, 4(7), pp.60-68.

Deb, S. (2015). Conflicting Policy Perspectives on Handicrafts Industry in Post Independent

India. Journal of Global Economy, 11(2), 111-141.

Dhar, S.R., 2016. Handloom industry in West Bengal 1951 to 1990 an economic analysis.

Goswami, R. and Jain, R., 2014. Strategy for Sustainable Development of Handloom Industry.

Global Journal of Finance and Management, 6(2), pp.93-98.

Hazarika, B. and Goswami, K., 2018. Micro-entrepreneurship Development in the Handloom

Industry: An Empirical Analysis Among the Tribal Women in Assam. International Journal of

Rural Management, 14(1), pp.22-38.

Kumar, P.S., 2015. Handloom Industry in India: A Study. International Journal of

Multidisciplinary research and development, 2(1), pp.24-29.

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Lynch, J., 2016. The Good of Cloth: Bringing Ethics to Market in India's Handloom Textile

Industry.

Muneendra, N. and Prakash, N.R.M., 2016. The status of handnloom industry in Andhra

Pradesh. Int. J. Res. IT Manag, 6, pp.69-73.

Naik, M.P., 2017. Performance And Issues Of Handloom Units: A Case Study Of Glubarga

District. International Journal of Innovative Knowledge Concepts, 5(12).

Pal, J.K., Chakraborty, S., Tewari, H.R. and Chandra, V., 2016. The working hours of unpaid

child workers in the handloom industry in India. International Social Science Journal,

66(219-220), pp.197-204.

Peters, M.R.H. and Bajpai, S., 2017. THE ROLE AND WORKING OF HANDLOOM SECTOR

IN CHHATTISGARH. development, 10(2.48), pp.2-48.

Roy, C., 2017. The silk handloom industry in Nadia district of West Bengal: a study on its

history, performance & current problems.

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