Cottage Industry Research Articles

Successful completion of large, low-cost randomized cancer trials at an academic cancer center.

Concerns about low accrual have long been a standard part of the discourse on cancer clinical trials, reaching even as far as the news media. Indeed, so many trials are closed before completing accrual that a cottage industry has recently developed creating statistical models to predict trial failure. We previously proposed four methodologic fixes for the current crisis in clinical trials: (1) dramatically reducing the number of eligibility criteria, (2) using data routinely collected in clinical practice for trial endpoints; then lowering barriers to accrual by (3) cluster randomization or (4) staged consent. We report our practical experience of applying these fixes to randomized trials at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. We have completed seven single-center randomized trials, with several more underway and accruing rapidly, with a total accrual approaching 10,000. Many of the trials have compared surgical interventions, an area where trials have traditionally been hard to complete. Only one of these trials was externally funded. While low costs were possible due to the existing research infrastructure at our institution, such infrastructure is common at major cancer centers. Further research on innovative clinical trial designs is warranted, particularly in higher-stakes settings, and in trials of medical and radiotherapy interventions.

Crisis? What Crisis?: Rethinking How We Talk about Rural America

Abstract It has become conventional wisdom to say that rural America is (and rural Americans are) in “crisis,” and this has generated a cottage industry of commentary from journalists, academics, politicians, policy makers, and others. Sometimes the story of crisis is economic: jobs harder and harder to find in the rural pockets of the nation. Sometimes it is social: rural isolation and desperation that lead to drug addiction and suicide. Whatever its cause, the result has been that rural America has been “left behind,” to borrow from the title of sociologist Robert Wuthnow's recent book on the topic. And the sub-title of his book encapsulates the politics this crisis has generated: decline and rage. This article interrogates the narrative of crisis and decline by historicizing it more deeply, by examining how enduring rural mythologies continue to shape our discourse about rural places, and to argue that far from being “left behind” in the national parade, rural America has often been leading it.

How Can Revitalizing Traditional Handicraft And Cottage Industries In Rural India Contribute To Sustainable Economic Growth And Employment Generation In The 21st Century?

There exists tremendous potential for the growth of sustainable economic growth and employment generation in the traditional handicraft and cottage industry of rural India. Although these industrial activities are of cultural importance and have collectively contributed to local economies, they are disappearing as a result of rapid industrialization, globalization, and competition from mass production. This research investigates how these sectors can be revitalized to help India achieve sustainable development in the 21st century, by creating employment, reducing poverty, and preserving cultural heritage. This study draws on statistical data, case studies, and successful global examples to identify key barriers including lack of infrastructure, marketing challenges, lack of access to finance, and competition from mass-produced goods. It also provides strategies to cope with these challenges such as skill development, opening up of microcredit access, market diversification, export promotion, and regulatory reforms. The research shows that government policies play a critical role in subsidizing and incentivizing, promoting geographical indications for handicrafts, and simplifying business regulations. It encourages inclusive entrepreneurship in rural areas, empowering artisans and entrepreneurs (women and youth), along with creatively co-creating livelihood and business opportunities. Revitalizing traditional industries can help achieve multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as decent work, economic growth, and responsible consumption and production, according to the findings. This study offers a roadmap for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to enable the sustainable growth of traditional industries across the villages of rural India while maintaining economic growth and cultural preservation for long-term resilience and prosperity

An animal charcoal contaminated cottage industry soil highlighted by halophilic archaea dominance and decimation of bacteria.

An animal charcoal contaminated cottage industry soil in Lagos, Nigeria (ACGT) was compared in an ex post facto study with a nearby unimpacted soil (ACGC). Hydrocarbon content was higher than regulatory limits in ACGT (180.2mg/kg) but lower in ACGC (19.28mg/kg). Heavy metals like nickel, cadmium, chromium and lead were below detection limit in ACGC. However, all these metals, except cadmium, were detected in ACGT, but at concentrations below regulatory limits. Furthermore, copper (253.205mg/kg) and zinc (422.630mg/kg) were above regulatory limits in ACGT. Next generation sequencing revealed that the procaryotic community was dominated by bacteria in ACGC (62%) while in ACGT archaea dominated (76%). Dominant phyla in ACGC were Euryarchaeota (37%), Pseudomonadota (16%) and Actinomycetota (12%). In ACGT it was Euryarchaeota (76%), Bacillota (9%), Pseudomonadota (7%) and Candidatus Nanohaloarchaeota (5%). Dominant Halobacteria genera in ACGT were Halobacterium (16%), Halorientalis (16%), unranked halophilic archaeon (13%) Salarchaeum (6%) and Candidatus Nanohalobium (5%), whereas ACGC showed greater diversity dominated by bacterial genera Salimicrobium (7%) and Halomonas (3%). Heavy metals homeostasis genes, especially for copper, were fairly represented in both soils but with bacterial taxonomic affiliations. Sites like ACGT, hitherto poorly studied and understood, could be sources of novel bioresources.

Sustaining Family Business: Unveiling the Resilience of Majuli Potters in Assam, India

The Kumars of Salmora village in the south-eastern part of Majuli, Assam, India, are an example of a family managed business of handcrafting river clay pots. Salmora became the Kumhar village as a result of clay, which became the primary reason for the settlement of potters in the area. The hand-beaten pottery is a cottage industry of Majuli and has been passed down through generations. Currently, the policy restrictions and the dying art form have made people think about how to sustain the handicraft, their livelihoods woven around this art form, and continue their passion/skill in the given challenging situation. This makes it interesting to adopt the case research method to examine the struggle of small businesses to sustain their livelihoods, on the one hand, and the limited alternative sources of livelihood, on the other hand, thus making the survival and sustenance of the family business a challenge, where pottery was their family business for generations. The case discussion revolves around the problems, concerns and causes for the deterioration of the art forms and highlights the issues and challenges. It contributes to the resources in the emerging family business management literature and also the family businesses to strategise in similar contexts.

Ethical Dimensions of Digital Phenotyping Within the Context of Mental Healthcare

AbstractDigital phenotyping (DP) refers to the emerging field within digital (mental) health that involves the collection of data from individual’s digital devices (smartphones, wearable, Internet usage, etc.) to monitor and analyse their behaviours, activities and health-related patterns. That such ‘digital footprint’ data can be mined for behavioural insights is an intriguing idea, which has motivated an increasing amount of research activity, particularly in the field of digital mental health. Whilst of potentially revolutionary utility in (mental) healthcare, the idea of DP also raises a set of rich sociotechnical, ethical and philosophical considerations, and a cottage industry of sociotechnical and ethical critiques of DP has emerged, particularly within the humanities. Within this scene of early empirical investigation in the health/behavioural sciences on the one hand and general conceptual critiques from the humanities on the other, in this paper we instead explore a case for the potential utility of DP in circumstances of clinical mental health practice and examine its ethical dimensions in this context. After providing an explicatory framework for DP and making a case for it within this framework, we subsequently examine the ethical pros and cons of three topics pertaining to DP in clinical practice, namely (1) issues in psychometric assessment/testing, (2) the role and responsibilities of mental health practitioners with regard to DP technology, and (3) the value DP can afford clients in terms of self-awareness/empowerment and strengthening the therapeutic alliance with their clinician.

Sowing “seeds of doubt”: Cottage industries of election and medical misinformation in Brazil and the United States

Sowing “seeds of doubt”: Cottage industries of election and medical misinformation in Brazil and the United States

Regulatory Compliance of Cosmetic Products in Kenya: A Narrative Review on Quality and Safety

This study reviews the regulatory compliance of cosmetic products in Kenya, with a focus on consumer risks and potential public health impact. A narrative review study design was employed and a literature search was conducted using government reports, publications, academic databases, and other relevant sources. Keywords such as cosmetic industry challenges and cosmetic regulation in Kenya were employed to search the literature for papers. Data focusing on regulatory frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, adverse reactions, and industry challenges was then extracted and discussed in the form of a narration. The growth of the cosmetic industry, fueled by urbanization, a rising middle class, and increased grooming awareness, has attracted both local and international investors, presenting challenges in maintaining product quality and safety standards. Seven cases of adverse reactions related to cosmetics were reported by Pharmacy and Poisons Board between 2018-2023. The current study identifies noteworthy challenges by examining Kenya’s regulatory framework, led by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Enforcement disparities within international standards, variance in regulations on prohibited ingredients, inconsistent labeling requirements, industry dynamics, and counterfeiting, compounded with the complex nature of safety assessments raise concerns for cosmetic regulators, distributors, and manufacturers. The study highlights existing gaps in regulatory oversight emphasizing the necessity of robust enforcement mechanisms. Compliance assessments by KEBS and PPB encompass the evaluation of ingredients, formulations, microbial contamination, packaging, and labeling. Factors contributing to regulatory noncompliance include poor product quality aggravated by supply chain complexities in the vast and diverse sector. The cosmetic cottage industry inadvertently presents a quality risk to consumers due to limited process and testing capacity. Reported adverse reactions, particularly to mercury-containing skin-lightening products, raise concerns about public health implications. This study advocates for continuous product monitoring and heightened vigilance. The review proposes improvement strategies, emphasizing a dynamic regulatory approach, periodic ingredient reviews, a centralized product approval system, and alignment with global manufacturing standards. Targeted consumer education initiatives focusing on product quality attributes, adverse reaction reporting, label reading, and counterfeit awareness are recommended.

Risk assessment of four toxic heavy metals in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems around BSCIC tannery industrial estate of Savar, Dhaka,Bangladesh.

The shifting of tannery industries from Hazaribagh to Savar adjacent to Dhaleshwari River might have inevitable adverse impacts, especially the heavy metal contamination of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The study was carried out to investigate the concentrations of four heavy metals in the soil, water, and plant samples collected from around Dhaleshwari River adjacent to the Bangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation Tannery Industrial Estate, Dhaka. This study revealed that average concentrations of cadmium and chromium in soil exceeded the maximum permissible limit of World Health Organization (1996) and average concentrations of lead, cadmium, and chromium in water exceeded the maximum permissible limit of World Health Organization (2011) and Environmental Conservation Rules (1997). The average concentrations of lead, cadmium, and chromium in the roots and shoots of both Eichhornia crassipes and Cynodon dactylon exceeded the maximum permissible limit of Food and Agriculture Organization/ World Health Organization (2016). Ecological risk assessment using indices model for soil pollution indicated that soil is mostly contaminated with cadmium and chromium which can pose strong ecological risk Health risk assessment using indices model for water pollution revealed the high degree of contamination and unacceptable non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk for adults as well as children through ingestion of water. Average bioconcentration factor and bioaccumulation factor were higher in Eichhornia crassipes than Cynodon dactylon for lead, cadmium, and chromium. Average translocation factor was also higher in Eichhornia crassipes for all the metals except cadmium. It is suggested remedial and mitigation measures be instituted to control environmental degradation of the newly established Tannery Industrial Estate.

Mid-infrared Fine Structure Lines from the Galactic Warm Ionized Medium

The Warm Ionized Medium (WIM) hosts most of the ionized gas in the Galaxy and occupies perhaps a quarter of the volume of the Galactic disk. Decoding the spectrum of the Galactic diffuse ionizing field is of fundamental interest. This can be done via direct measurements of ionization fractions of various elements. Based on current physical models for the WIM we predicted that mid-IR fine structure lines of Ne, Ar and S would be within the grasp of the Mid-Infrared Imager-Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI-MRS), an Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectrograph, aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Motivated thus we analyzed a pair of commissioning data sets and detected [Ne ii] 12.81 μm, [S iii] 18.71 μm and possibly [S iv] 10.51 μm. The inferred emission measure for these detections is about 10 cm−6 pc, typical of the WIM. These detections are broadly consistent with expectations of physical models for the WIM. The current detections are limited by uncorrected fringing (and to a lesser extent by baseline variations). In due course, we expect, as with other IFUs, the calibration pipeline to deliver photon-noise-limited spectra. The detections reported here bode well for the study of the WIM. Along most lines-of-sight hour-long MIRI-MRS observations should detect line emission from the WIM. When combined with optical observations by modern IFUs with high spectral resolution on large ground-based telescopes, the ionization fraction and temperature of neon and sulfur can be robustly inferred. Separately, the ionization of helium in the WIM can be probed by NIRspec. Finally, joint JWST and optical IFU studies will open up a new cottage industry of studying the WIM on arcsecond scales.

Study on Bamboo Industry

Abstract: The article highlights bamboo as a versatile material with numerous applications across various industries. Its widespread availability, rapid growth, and favorable physical and chemical properties make it a convenient and easily accessible resource globally. Bamboo, being one of the oldest traditional building materials, has a rich history of use in construction. Bamboo belongs to the grass family and is renowned for being the fastest-growing plant inthe world. Its industrial applications span a wide range, including food production, wood substitute, pulp and paper production, medicinal products, cottage industries, and charcoal production The Indian bamboo market is anticipated to experience significant growth in the forecast period. The increasing demand for furniture, driven by the rise in per capita income among consumers in the country, is expected to contribute to the market's expansion. Bamboo's ability to thrive on otherwisemarginal lands makes it a profitable crop for cultivation in degraded areas. Additionally, its rapid growth makes bamboo an effective tool for climate change mitigation and carbon sequestration, with the capacity to absorb substantial amounts of carbon per hectare In summary, the article underscores bamboo's potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly material with diverse applications across industries. It also emphasizes its role in addressing climate change and contributing to carbon sequestration, positioning bamboo as a valuable resource for both economic and ecological purposes

Mineral wealth paradox: health challenges and environmental risks in African resource-rich areas

BackgroundAfrica is blessed with vast arable land and enriched with valuable natural resources encompassing both renewable (like water, forests, and fisheries) and non-renewable (such as minerals, coal, gas, and oil). Under the right conditions, a natural resource boom should serve as an important driver for growth, development, and the transition from cottage industry to factory output. However, despite its wealth, Africa is often associated with the notion of a resource curse. Negative outcomes are often linked with mineral wealth. This paper investigates the causes of adverse health outcomes in resource-rich regions. The study provides empirical support for the natural resource curse with particular emphasis on the environmental health risks in Africa. We explore the multifaceted connections among mineral deposits, environmental risks, conflict events and population dynamics, shedding light on the complexities of resource-rich areas.ResultsWe amalgamate georeferenced data pertaining to 22 specific mineral deposits with information on the prevalence of reliance on compromised infrastructures at a spatial resolution of 0.5∘×0.5∘\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\circ } \ imes 0.5^{\\circ }$$\\end{document} for all of Africa between 2000 and 2017. Through comprehensive econometric analysis of environmental health risk factors, including reliance on contaminated water sources, open defecation, unimproved sanitation, particulate matter concentration, and carbon concentration, we uncover the intricate pathways through which mineral deposits impact public health. Our findings revealed the significant role of in-migration in mediating environmental health risks. Moreover, we found that the activities of extractive companies amplify certain environmental risks including reliance on unimproved sanitation and practices and particulate matter concentration. Conflict events emerge as a key mediator across all environmental health risks, underlining the far-reaching consequences of instability and violence on both local communities and the environment.ConclusionThe study contributes to the discourse on sustainable development by unraveling the nuanced associations between mineral wealth and health challenges. By drawing attention to the intricate web of factors at play, we provide a foundation for targeted interventions that address the unique environmental and health challenges faced by mineral-rich communities.

A Review - Bamboo Industry

Abstract: The article highlights bamboo as a versatile material with numerous applications across various industries. Its widespread availability, rapid growth, and favorable physical and chemical properties make it a convenient and easily accessible resource globally. Bamboo, being one of the oldest traditional building materials, has a rich history of use in construction. Bamboo belongs to the grass family and is renowned for being the fastest-growing plant in the world. Its industrial applications span a wide range, including food production, wood substitute, pulpand paper production, medicinal products, cottage industries, and charcoal production

Performing Reparative Craft: Oreet Ashery’s Passing through Metal

P assing through Metal (2017–18), a performance by queer interdisciplinary artist Oreet Ashery, is the focus of this paper. Featuring the enigmatic intervention of a death metal band into a collective of knitters, the performance follows this basic structure: first, forty knitters, each seated with contact microphones attached to the metal needles; second, a band bursts into the acoustics of the space. Commissioned in 2017 by Lilith Performance Studio in Malmö, Sweden, Ashery’s bringing together of death metal and knitting queers Sweden’s industrious cottage industry history and disrupts the predominantly white male metal scenes. Taking care not to be disparaging, writer David Keenan describes the paranoid, destructive energy behind such musics as adolescent, whereas knitting is an ostensibly quieter reparative practice. The apparent conflicts between the performative elements in the piece will be explored through the prism of Melanie Klein’s and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s theories on the depressive-reparative position and its oscillatory relationship to the paranoid. With this framing, it is argued that Ashery’s body of work frequently characterizes a culture at odds with itself, and through this framework the generative possibilities and pathetic inadequacies of both reparative work and adolescent destruction will be addressed.

Cottage industry as a source of high exposure to lead: A biomonitoring study among people involved in manufacturing cookware from scrap metal.

In low-income countries, a widespread but poorly studied type of cottage industry consists of melting scrap metal for making cookware. We assessed the exposure to lead (Pb) among artisanal workers, and their families, involved in manufacturing cookware from scrap metal. In a cross-sectional survey, we compared artisanal cookware manufacturing foundries with carpentry workshops (negative controls) and car battery repair workshops (positive controls), all located in residential areas, in Lubumbashi (DR Congo). We collected surface dust in the workspaces, and blood and urine samples among workers, as well as residents living in the cookware workshops. Trace elements were quantified in the samples by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). In surface dust, median Pb concentrations were higher in cookware foundries (347 mg/kg) than in carpentries (234 mg/kg) but lower than in battery repair workshops (22,000 mg/kg). In workers making the cookware (n = 24), geometric mean (GM) Pb blood cencentration was 118 μg/L [interquartile range (IQR) 78.4–204], i.e. nearly twice as high as among carpenters [60.2 μg/L (44.4–84.7), n = 33], and half the concentration of battery repair workers [255 μg/L (197–362), n = 23]. Resident children from the cookware foundries, had higher urinary Pb [6.2 μg/g creatinine (2.3–19.3), n = 6] than adults [2.3 (2.2–2.5), n = 3]. Our investigation confirms the high Pb hazard linked to car battery repair and reveals a high exposure to Pb among artisanal cookware manufacturers and their families, especially children, in residential areas of a city in a low-income country.

Spatial Analysis of Locational Vulnerability of Fish Drying Cottage Industry of Kudawella, Sri Lanka

Informal fishing industries in Sri Lanka are in vulnerable areas and their industrial locations are risky. Fish Drying cottage industry of Kudawella is fast growing and spreading in the recent years within the village and to the outside. The industry has informal economy and perfectly competitive market characteristics which enables free entrance and exit and less legal bindings. Although the industry generates a significant direct and indirect employment opportunities and income, it has also created social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. Vice versa, the industry has become vulnerable due to various social, economic and environmental factors too. Therefore, it the study aims to spatially identify the vulnerability of fish drying cottage industry. The study identified the factors affecting the vulnerability of the industry by conducting a literature survey and were evaluated through observations and the experience of the researchers. 381 industry locations and the relevant 9 criteria maps were mapped by using Open Street Mapping and ArcMap 10.8, such as proximity to the harbour, accessible roads, environmentally sensitive areas, access to the major tourist attraction in the village; ―Hummanaya‖ the blowhole, the coast, Tsunami reservation, social infrastructure and population density and selection for projects conducted by the government. For the weighted overlay analysis, each criterion was weighted based on their relative contribution to the vulnerability of the industry. The resulting map showed that higher portion of the village a higher percentage of existing number of manufactures are moderately vulnerable while a 4.2% of land in the village is severely vulnerable for the industry. However, no manufacturing site was found to be severely vulnerable within the concerned period. The village is an Urban Development Authority declared urban area which is having economic potential due to factors such as existence of the Blowhole and abundancy of coastal and shallow water resources. Therefore, the study suggests the decision makers to make decisions to upgrade informal sector to ensure to avoid vulnerable locations of Industry and they can earmark suitable locational area to ensure the sustainable utilization of land.
 Keywords: Cottage industry, Fish drying, GIS, Sustainable land use, Weighted overlay analysis

PENERAPAN PENCATATAN KEUANGAN PADA INDUSTRI KECIL RUMAHAN

The 2020 economy is heavily influenced by economic and political conditions. Indonesia is a developing country that does not rule out the possibility of technology that provides convenience, such as completing daily tasks which used to be the responsibility of each individual in completing daily routines. Because of the various activities that cause time to be limited, washing clothes becomes a problem for everyone, so they decide to do laundry in the laundry. However, there are currently many laundry businesses that have gone bankrupt. This is because there is a lot of competition that occurs in these businesses, such as poor service and financial management systems. So it is proven based on phenomena in the field showing that the perpetrators of clothing laundry entrepreneurs do not understand good and correct accounting records, they consider the recording to be too complicated to carry out and only do very simple records and perform rough calculations with the system. clothes laundry business finances with other businesses. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are identical with the lack of awareness to carry out bookkeeping properly in the business world. With a lack of knowledge in bookkeeping, it automatically prevents them from carrying out financial bookkeeping activities. This study aims to determine the application of financial records in small home-based industries and to find out the extent to which laundry entrepreneurs understand accounting. The method used is a qualitative method to explore and explain the application of financial records in small cottage industries. Based on the observation that it was found that entrepreneurs were able to make financial records according to their own knowledge and understanding and had not applied the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (PSAK) entrepreneurs made notes on their business financial statements according to their needs and abilities, this was done because they thought how their business would survive. and to grow and increase their income

ROLE OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES IN RURAL LIVELIHOODS

Agriculture and traditional handicrafts are deeply ingrained in Indias rural terrain, and cottage businesses have emerged as a key component in maintaining rural livelihoods. This abstract explores the complex aspects of the function that cottage industries play in rural Indias socio-economic structure. Cottage industries, which are sometimes confused with small-scale businesses, cover a broad range of pursuits, from contemporary pursuits like small-scale manufacturing and internet businesses to traditional handicrafts, handloom weaving, ceramics, and agro-processing. These sectors, which have their roots in rural Indias rich cultural legacy, provide major contributions to job creation, income production, and skill development-all of which are critical for reducing poverty. Cottage industries promote inclusive growth by giving people in disadvantaged communities of society more possibilities to find work. For example, women in rural regions frequently use cottage enterprises to achieve financial independence and self-empowerment. The case studies and success stories in this abstract demonstrate how cottage enterprises have a transforming effect on gender dynamics in rural areas. The role of cottage industries in rural livelihoods in India is a dynamic and evolving narrative. This abstract provides insights into the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of cottage industries, emphasizing their potential as catalysts for inclusive and sustainable rural development. Understanding and nurturing these industries is crucial for unlocking the full potential of rural economies and fostering a more resilient and empowered rural India.

COTTAGE INDUSTRY IN DAKSHINA KANNADA: A CASE STUDY

A thorough contextual research of the Dakshina Kannada bungalow industry, examining its financial aspects and impact on neighbouring networks. India is among the worlds developing countries. In this context, trading plays a major role in resolving problems with Khadi items. In the unlikely event if the creators fulfil Khadis objectives to win over customers devotion by creating fresh, modern Khadi products, it usually becomes a major player in the home business. Generally speaking, it is said that home businesses are an unavoidable, backward aspect of the economy. However, a financial analysis and practical engagement with many other countries demonstrate that the bungalow enterprises have demonstrated remarkable perseverance and have made a significant financial contribution to the nation. The case for fostering the growth of the bungalow industry in Dakshina Kannada is clear because these businesses present excellent opportunities for generating a sizable amount of revenue and procure a valuable open door for relatively minimal price for unemployment, especially in rural areas. This supports efforts to achieve high and useful monetary development. KEYWORDS: Cottage Industry, Dakshina Kannada, Sustainable economic growth, Achieving High

KOTA DORIA WEAVERS PLEADING FOR NEW DESIGNS!

Apart from agriculture, India's handloom industry has existed for ages and is the country's largest cottage industry in terms of employment opportunities. Despite having a glorious past, this ancient craft is now known for its dire situation and for slowly fading into obscurity as the industry struggles to survive due to numerous issues. The main causes of this include a large number of substituted products, insufficient training for skill upgrades, an unorganized structure, low wages, the reluctance of the younger generation to choose weaving as a means of subsistence, a small domestic market, the lack of creative designs and color combinations, fierce competition from power looms, the fast-fashion industry, poor marketing, shifting consumer preferences, and the availability of alternative employment opportunities. However, the handloom industry can still be revitalized as evidenced by the tenacity that handloom weavers continue to display in terms of survival and capacity for innovation. In order to contribute to the sustainability of traditional craft heritage and ensure continuous transmission of craft skills and knowledge from generation to generation, the current investigation aims to explore, identify, and address issues faced by traditional craftsmanship. This study offers Kota Doria Cluster insights at Kaithoon, Kota in order to help us better understand the cluster's current situation and offers recommendations for future development.