What is the one thing that is eco-friendly and never goes out of fashion? It’s the classics. India has its own collection of classics, and we know them by various names. We can put all of them under one umbrella and call it Indian handloom.
Yes, India is a country of rich and diverse cultural heritage, and we can find the essence of it in the wide range of handloom textiles produced here. Each state, village, and culture have their own textile that is gifted to them by the age-old weaving culture. You can find a variety of textiles made with different fibers and techniques that hold a unique history and identity in them.
It is not only beautiful to look at, sustainable, and culturally authentic but handloom is a source of living for many.
India has its own collection of classics, and we call it Handloom
Know the textiles
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties of handloom found across the different regions of India. The fabrics are traditionally woven by hand on manual looms and that’s why the name, “Handloom”. The most common manually operated loom is the pit loom.
The yarns used in weaving handloom textile often come from locally extracted or sourced natural fibers. A variety of cotton, linen, silk. Jute etc. are used as raw materials for handloom textile.
You might wonder, what makes one textile different from the other. It is the technique, the yarn, the dyeing process, the motifs, and more importantly, the history and story attached to a particular style are the factors that give uniqueness to each handloom textile.
The handloom fabrics use natural fibers that are often locally sourced and hence the carbon footprint is reduced in the sourcing stage. Being natural, the handloom textiles are biodegradable and do not put any weight on nature. Also, the weaving is done manually which means no electricity is used in the process. All of these make handloom textile sustainable and eco-friendly textile.
If you are someone looking for a sustainable fabric option then you must choose handwoven textiles over powerloom textiles.
Being natural, the handloom textiles are biodegradable and do not put any weight on nature.
Current scenario of Indian handloom
Let’s have a look at the people who make it, their life and the challenges they face every day. 95% of the world’s handmade textile is produced in India which means India is already the global market leader. It generates employment for over 4.3 million people who are directly or indirectly involved in the handloom industry. Handloom textile constitutes approximately 15% of the total textile produced in India.
Still, the industry is witnessing a steep fall in the number of artisans every year. The number of artisans has fallen from 6.5 million weavers in 1996 to 3.5 million weavers in the year 2020.
Our country has lost around 8 lac weavers in the last 10 years alone. There must be a strong reason behind the fall. And the reason is the poor wages, the bad living condition, and fall in the overall demand for handloom. On average, weavers earn less than INR 5,000 a month, which makes their survival difficult.
Power loom has been the greatest threat to the handloom industry as it produces textile way faster with makes it inexpensive as compared to handloom. With the lack of opportunity, many weavers have shifted their or their children’s profession.
It may sound OK for now but it is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country. Soon this art and craft will come to the verge of extinction if the situation is not controlled.
The number of artisans has fallen from 6.5 million weavers in 1996 to 3.5 million weavers in 2020.
What is the potential
The Indian handloom industry holds massive potential in itself. It needs a combined action from the government, the brands and designers, and the consumers. The government has taken many initiatives like Mudra Yojna, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay National Award, Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS), etc. to boost the industry and motivate the artisans.
With improved infrastructure, skills and technology, and design intervention, the handloom industry can gain its prestige back and become a global name. The handloom industry stands a chance to grow and thrive with the growing demand for sustainable, organic, and handmade products.
The majority of handloom weavers are female (77%) but due to the social structure and male dominance, they are considered secondary workers. The situation calls for steps that can lead to women's empowerment. By enlisting female weavers as owners of the loom and giving them equal opportunity to earn their living the condition of these women can be transformed, both financially and socially.
Brand should start building weaver communities to support them and keep them UpToDate with the latest design trends and technology. A transparent supply chain and social impact pricing can work wonders for the weaving community as they will start getting fair wages for the hard work that they do.
Guidance on quality control by the brand can further push the market and increase the demand for handloom products. By implementing all of these, the livelihood of the weavers will improve and won’t stop their children to carry forward their age-old craft.
The majority of handloom weavers are female (77%) but due to the social structure and male dominance, they are considered secondary workers.
How can you make a difference?
As a consumer, you and I play a vital role in the upliftment and downfall of any industry or business. If there will be high demand for a certain product the production and revenue will automatically increase.
So, if we don’t want this cultural heritage to get extinct then we need to give them a reason to continue. We can educate and make our circle aware of the importance and beauty of Indian handloom and motivate them to buy handloom.
We can demand brands to practice transparency in their supply chain. Be willing to buy less and buy superior quality products that cost a little higher than the factory products. Know and understand that by supporting handloom you are supporting a complete ecology; from the farmer who grows the raw material to the weaver to dyer to the retailer, everyone will make a living out of it.
Know and understand that by supporting handloom you are supporting a complete ecology
In closing, I would like you to know that only 25.3% of weavers want their children to take up weaving as their profession. This is an alarming situation as this is going to weaken the backbone of our country both economically and culturally.
The good news is it not too late. With the combined effort, we can still revive the handloom industry and strengthen our society.
If you get a chance to visit a weaver society, do that. It will open you to the whole new world of textile. You can witness the authenticity of these textiles and experience the passion with which the fabric is produced.
Our people need our support and we will provide it to them.
Comments