With a view to create a permanent marketing outlet that will enable handloom agencies to augment their sales as well as also make available quality handloom products to the discerning consumers, the Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge), Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar yesterday inaugurated the Handloom Marketing complex at Janpath in New Delhi.

While inaugurating the complex, Shri Gangwar said that this Complex in the capital city will serve as a window to the vast variety of handloom products produced all over the country by talented weavers. It will act as a forum for the promotion of handloom products both in the domestic and international market. “The new building will house handloom agencies and attract discerning Indian and foreign buyers for shopping. The Ministry is committed to develop a strong, competitive and vibrant handloom sector to provide sustainable employment to the handloom weavers,” added the Minister.

Speaking to reporters on the new Textiles Policy, the Minister said that it is “getting ready. You will very soon get to know about the final shape of the Policy. The deliberation process is going on for the same. We have taken into consideration the opinions of State Textiles Ministers too. So, in the coming few days, we will give it the final form.”

The handloom sector provides employment to 43.31 lakh persons engaged on 23.77 lakh handlooms across the country. It accounts for 11 % of textile production and makes a significant contribution in export earnings. Because of the uniqueness and exclusivity of designs, capability to produce small batch sizes and being eco-friendly fabric, handloom products are in high demand in domestic and international market. There is also immense demand for handloom products in the niche domestic market wherein not only consumers, discerning retailers look for reliable source for constant supply of authentic handloom products on regular basis.

The Ministry of Textiles has taken many initiatives from time to time such as organizations of domestic marketing events, participation in international fairs and buyer-seller meets etc to provide a marketing support to handloom weavers.

The office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms has constructed this Complex with a project cost of Rs 42 crore. The Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Government of India had allotted 1.779 acres of land at Janpath to the Ministry of Textiles for construction of the marketing complex. Besides the permanent shops, the marketing complex has a provision for a Dilli Haat type atmosphere where weavers from different parts of the country will be invited for two weeks to one month period to exhibit and sell their handloom products.