As various sectors in India have seen a decline in shipments, handloom and handicrafts sector has continued to grow at 17 per cent this year in its exports with the result of which the textiles ministry is eyeing for global niche markets to further boost the exports of these domestic segments.

“There is a huge scope for promoting Indian handloom and handicraft products in the niche markets world over,” Rashmi Verma, textiles secretary said at an ASSOCHAM event.

She further averred that the textiles ministry has signed MoUs with 20 e-commerce firms to engage with artisans and weavers in various handloom and handicraft clusters and provide them a direct marketing platform. The secretary also urged that all industry stakeholders should make efforts to ensure artisans and weavers get right price and market for their products.

“The government is empowering weavers so that they continue to remain engaged in this craft by giving them design inputs, quality raw material, tools and by upgrading their looms. We are finding that younger generation is slowly getting disinterested in this sector and moving towards information technology as the children of the weavers and artisans are not joining this profession,” she informed.

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