Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi, has plenty of weavers who are banking on government support to survive in the mass-production market economy. Their goods, which are individually designed, take time to be made, while cheaper textiles versions pose a threat to their livelihood.
Thus, the country’s leading fashion designers will set up units and tie up with Varanasi weavers to promote their products nationally and internationally.
Top fashion and textile designers Ritu Kumar, Manish Malhotra, Sandeep Khosla, Shruti Sancheti, Anita Dongre and Rina Dhaka have met textiles minister Santosh Gangwar to seek the government’s support in promoting Banarasi sarees and other handloom products.
The joint venture between the designers and government will focus on national-level promotion, top-quality media campaigns, exhibitions, and shows for the awareness and promotion of the contemporary hand-made goods.
The collaboration would fructify in creating a product line, which will finally be exhibited in all major museums of the country to showcase talent and textile. The fashion line will also be promoted under the Make in India brand on the international forum.
Shaina NC, who is also a designer by profession, and piloting the project, said they have come together for ‘Make in India’ and be a part of this campaign to design, manufacture and produce the best textiles in Banaras and thereby generate employment.
The traditional weaves and textiles are fast losing out as they have become less viable for the weavers, as they are very expensive and hence is not affordable by the masses and cheaper yarns like Chinese silk have come in as substitutes for mass scale production.
She said that the idea behind bringing together the designers was to help the weavers of Varanasi scale up their business.
The product line that the new project will come with by collaborating with the designers, will finally be exhibited in all major museums of India to showcase talent and textile, and then be promoted under the ‘Make in India’ brand on the international forum.
In line with ‘Make in India’ to be a part of this campaign to design, manufacture and produce the best textiles in Benares and thereby generate employment. After working on the Banarasi weavers, the project hopes to move on with handloom weavers in Odisha and the Paithani weavers of Maharashtra.
