Handloom Industry Research Articles

A Comparative Study on Handloom and Power Loom Industry of Mubarakhpur

The weaving heritage of Qasba Mubarakhpur in the district of Azamgarh was explored through the case study. The town is well-known for its compound cotton and silk tussar, or pure silk cloth. The history of Mubarakpur demonstrates the emergence and decline of locally produced textile goods about social and political activities in the colonial Indian economy. The introduction of power looms into neighboring regions, such as Mau, has altered the region's modes of production by progressively diminishing the handloom industry. The present research paper studied the reasons why for manufacturing sector contributes to the decrease the unemployment and increase in poverty. The findings showed that women were not considered essential workers in the past; instead, women joined the workforce following the invention of machines.

Present Scenario of Handloom Industry in Arunachal Pradesh: A Case Study of Siang District

Present Scenario of Handloom Industry in Arunachal Pradesh: A Case Study of Siang District

Empowering Rural Women Through Handloom Micro Enterprises: A Case Study of Udalguri District, Assam

Background: The handloom industry in Assam showcases a remarkable diversity that extends across both rural and urban areas which serves as a supplementary source of income for numerous households in the state. Nalkhamara, a village in Udalguri district of Assam became the workplace for a group of 15 most talented weavers who grouped to form a SHG called Rampar Self Help Group. But unfortunately, they faced significant challenges due to limited resources and absence of marketing organizations. In order to address the issues, the SHG reached out to the KVK, Udalguri for assistance and accordingly, the KVK conducted a demonstration on capacity building of women weavers to enhance their skills in weaving and provided guidance on modern marketing techniques etc. Hence, the present study was planned with the objectives to analyze the economic impact on weavers before and after KVK intervention, types of products manufactured and the constraints faced by them. Methods: The study has followed the case study method with a total of 15 weavers of Rampar SHG having training under KVK, Udalguri. A pre tested questionnaire was prepared to collect data. To measure the economic impact, parameters like gross cost and return, net return, B: C ratio etc. were considered before and after intervention. To evaluate the problems of weavers, open ended questions were asked. Suitable statistical tools were used to analyze the data. Result: With the intervention of KVK Udalguri, the weavers of the SHG able to earn average annual income between Rs. 13.00 to Rs.15.00 lakhs and could able to produced twenty types of diversified handloom products. The constraints faced by them were like improper time management, high input price, exploitation by intermediaries etc.

Handloomed fabrics recognition with deep learning

Every nation treasures its handloom heritage, and in India, the handloom industry safeguards cultural traditions, sustains millions of artisans, and preserves ancient weaving techniques. To protect this legacy, a critical need arises to distinguish genuine handloom products, exemplified by the renowned “gamucha” from India’s northeast, from counterfeit powerloom imitations. Our study’s objective is to create an AI tool for effortless detection of authentic handloom items amidst a sea of fakes. Six deep learning architectures—VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, InceptionV3, InceptionResNetV2, and DenseNet201—were trained on annotated image repositories of handloom and powerloom towels (17,484 images in total, with 14,020 for training and 3464 for validation). A novel deep learning model was also proposed. Despite respectable training accuracies, the pre-trained models exhibited lower performance on the validation dataset compared to our novel model. The proposed model outperformed pre-trained models, demonstrating superior validation accuracy, lower validation loss, computational efficiency, and adaptability to the specific classification problem. Notably, the existing models showed challenges in generalizing to unseen data and raised concerns about practical deployment due to computational expenses. This study pioneers a computer-assisted approach for automated differentiation between authentic handwoven “gamucha”s and counterfeit powerloom imitations—a groundbreaking recognition method. The methodology presented not only holds scalability potential and opportunities for accuracy improvement but also suggests broader applications across diverse fabric products.

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.

A Study On The Factors Influencing Purchase Behaviour Of The Customers Towards Silk Sarees In Kancheepuram

Studying the behavior of female consumers has become crucial. Consumers reign as the pivotal force in markets. Kanchipuram Silk boasts a rich historical legacy dating back to the early era of South India under the Pallavas. As a temple city and former capital of various South Indian dynasties, the silk handloom industry has thrived here, supported by royal patronage, elevating weavers to a prominent position in the social hierarchy. Businesses cannot operate without consumers. The rising costs of raw materials, particularly zari, emerge as a significant production hurdle, accompanied by challenges like working capital issues, increased use of counterfeit zari, and low wages. In marketing, the primary concern is the escalating prices of finished goods due to input cost hikes, followed by the influx of silk fabrics containing fake zari, unfair trade practices such as selling non-Kanchipuram products under its brand name, intermediary misconduct, lack of advertising, and the availability of cheaper alternatives. Understanding consumer behavior delves into their purchasing patterns, considering their roles as users, payers, and buyers. People's desires for products and services have dramatically expanded, leading to shifting attitudes and behaviors that can be sensitive to price fluctuations. To establish a study framework, various paradigms of thought that have influenced the discipline of consumer behavior need to be considered.

History of Handloom Industry in Assam with special reference to Sualkuchi

The Handloom Industry plays a vital role in the socio – economic structure of Assam in terms of providing employment and production of clothes. At the same time preserve and propagate the rich cultural heritage of Assam. Weaving in Assam is as old as human civilization itself and the art of weaving are being passed from one generation to the next. The existence of high-quality weaving skill and production of fine textiles is well documented in great epics like Mahabharata and ancient treatise like Arthashastra1of Kautilya (Choudhry, 1987). Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang also gives rich description of existence of high-quality weaving products and their general liking of the Royal family and the nobility. Writing is the early 19th century, before the British annexed Assam, Francis Hamilton2 has given an accurate account of the state of weaving in Assam (Sarma, 2012). This Industry was directly patronized by the state, so much so that queens established weaving schools in the palace, to teach the art of weaving to the daughters of the noble widows and other female members of the household of executed prisoners were also employed by the art for spinning and weaving as a means of subsistence. The neo – vaishnavite movement of the Shri Sankardev was an equally potent force in the development in the art of weaving, especially of figured cloth. After annexation of Assam by the British3, the Handloom industry declined rapidly particularly in cities. Another British policy of de – industrialization of Assam, instead of export of cotton clothes and silk products, Assam became export of raw cotton and cocoon to fuel the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Despite, dwindling of textile weaving like all other arts with the fall of the Ahom rule, it never became extinct as many other branches of Assamese art. It is still a living art as much in demand as it had been in the medieval period (Goswami, 2012)

Nitya- A Community Development Centre for Trichy Weavers, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu

Handloom is a long-standing tradition in India with exquisite and incomparable craftsmanship. The growth in power looms and increased influence of westernization has led to the destruction of the handloom industry and weavers lost markets for their authentic goods. Most of the weaver communities are homeless because of natural disasters, while some of the third-category weavers are unemployed and because they cannot afford yarns, dyes, and handlooms of their own and rely on cooperative societies and master weavers. The project's major objective is to give vulnerable families a chance to benefit from their strength and individuality. Proposing a community development center for the weaver community not only provides temporary shelter but also encourages them to develop their skills and helps them generate their own revenue. The program emphasizes on empowering the weaving community while also showcasing Indian traditional handlooms globally by giving viewers a live walkthrough and experience. The younger generation must be encouraged to learn the skill of weaving and promoting swadeshi textiles. The community development center aims to house weaver families and trainees and provide them with all necessary amenities. It also encourages them to establish their own identities in the market by giving them places to sell their own goods and giving trainees the opportunity to learn new skills and work towards it in the future. Key Words: traditional handloom, westernization, weaver community decline, community development centre, live walkthrough

Financial Literacy among Women: An Analysis of the Etikoppaka Toy Industry

Numerous scholarly works have thoroughly investigated the disparity in financial risk-taking between genders. It has been observed that women exhibit a lower propensity to invest in high-risk financial assets, which can be attributed to their relatively slower accumulation of wealth over an extended period of time. It aims to understand how financial literacy can enhance women's economic empowerment and independence. The research delves into the imperative need for financial literacy among women in the two-centuries-old Etikoppaka handloom industry. It explores their socio-economic transition within the internationally acclaimed toy industry of Etikoppaka in India. The study focuses on the Etikoppaka handloom industry, comprising two categories of women: formal employees earning wages and informal workers supporting their husbands without monetary compensation. An exploratory research design was applied to arrive at the inferences. Data is collected from 40 females actively engaged in the toy industry, supplemented by two focus group discussions with stakeholders. The data was analyzed using two financial models, i.e., Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2011 (OECD) basic principles of money. Financial literacy is crucial for women's empowerment in the Etikoppaka handloom industry. Formal sector women have better understanding of financial concepts than informal sector women. Customized programs that consider local culture and involvement of civil society organizations and grassroots initiatives are necessary for positive economic outcomes. This study's outcomes have significant implications for policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society organizations working towards women's economic development in the handloom industry.

STUDY ON HANDLOOM WEAVERS SECTOR AND THEIR SPACES IN TAMILNADU

One of Tamil Nadu's most important economic activities is hand weaving, which employs 3.19 lakh weavers and 1.89 lakh households. Given that handloom weaving is the second-largest occupation in Tamil Nadu, there is a pressing need to address issues in the industry and in the community. Through this comparative analytical study on the handloom industries and the government's contributions to developments, issues, and prospects, along with documentation of the quality of the working environment for weavers in various locations, including Pillayarpatti (Kanchipuram), Sowrastra, and Pattu nool kara street (Tanjavur), Periya negamam (Tirupur), in Tamilnadu, architectural solutions for the development of the handloom industries have also been discussed. Keywords – Handloom weavers’ sector, modes of production, Government contribution, HRIDAY, Co-optex. Climate response, lighting condition.

Post-COVID assessment of small business weavers in an Indian handloom industry: identifying and prioritizing key challenges

Post-COVID assessment of small business weavers in an Indian handloom industry: identifying and prioritizing key challenges

Are handloom micro-enterprises in India efficient? Estimation based on DEA and bootstrap truncated regression approach

PurposeAlthough handloom is a significant source of livelihood for millions of people in India, it performs poorly compared to other sectors of the economy, which may be the root of technical inefficiency. Until now, to measure technical efficiency, no studies have been carried out; therefore, the purpose of this study is to estimate the technical efficiency in the handloom micro-enterprises in India.Design/methodology/approachThis study includes 427 handloom micro-entrepreneurs from the Indian state of Assam. Using bootstrap truncated regression, the data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to calculate the technical efficiency and identify the factors responsible for inefficiency.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that handloom enterprises are 75% pure technically efficient, suggesting room for input reduction. The bootstrap truncated regression results show that education, prior experience, modern technology, ICT, bank loan, training, gender and location significantly influence the technical efficiency of handloom enterprises.Research limitations/implicationsDespite recent advances in the DEA method, this study used a traditional form of DEA. This study used only one output and a limited set of inputs. Better results could have been obtained by expanding the number of inputs and output. Finally, the data for this study has been obtained from a very narrow geographic area. The production practices of the handloom enterprises in other parts of the region and other states might vary considerably.Practical implicationsTechnical efficiency measurement has management implications for businesses because it allows entrepreneurs to determine how much less input is required to produce the same output. A meticulous analysis can pinpoint the causes of inefficiency.Originality/valueThis paper aims to make two significant contributions to the extant literature. First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no published document has analyzed the technical efficiency of handloom micro-enterprises anywhere in the world. The authors fill this void by systematically analyzing the technical efficiency of the handloom industry in Assam.

What drives the profitability of Indian handloom enterprises? An insight based on the seemingly unrelated regression model

PurposeThis study aims to extend the discussion on firm profitability to include handloom enterprises in India.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a random sample of 427 handloom microentrepreneurs from the Indian state of Assam. The seemingly unrelated regression model is used to determine the profitability drivers in India’s handloom enterprises.FindingsThe empirical results revealed that human, financial and social capital, along with their control variables such as information and communication technology, firm size and sales distribution, are the main drivers of profitability of Indian handloom enterprises.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to offer an in-depth insight into what makes profitability in the handloom enterprises in India, the world’s second-largest reservoir of the handloom industry.

BANGLADEŞ'TE EL TEZGAHI ENDÜSTRİSİNİN TEKNİK VERİMLİLİĞİ: BİR ÇALIŞMA

The handloom textile industry is one of Bangladesh's major labor contributing endeavors that provides income and employment opportunities for a sizable section of rural labor. However, in recent years, the handloom textile industry has been experiencing severe competition with the power loom textile industries in terms of technical efficiency, wage discrimination, and profit margin. This study aims to measure the technical efficiency of the handloom textile industry in handloom rich areas of Bangladesh. This study used multistage sampling techniques to collect data from 50 handloom textile industries in the Sirajganj district. The Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) technique was used to assess technical inefficiency and production efficiency. In contrast, the Benefit-Cost Ratio was used to determine the profit margin for handloom textile industries. The results show that the sample means technical efficiency is 79 percent, ranging from 38 to 100 percent. The SFA regression model also indicates that 66 percent of handloom industries have a 0.75–1.00 efficiency score, while 6 percent of the firms operate below 50 percent of technical efficiency. The Benefit-Cost Ratio analysis shows that handloom products are not highly profitable. The study also found that the existing handloom textile industries face high prices of colors and fabrics, lower adoption of technical knowledge, and obstacles to access to credit, all of which affect the production efficiency of handloom industries. With the foremost prospect of this industry, government policies should address the above problems to ensure favorable textile production in the study area.

Characterizing the geography of artisanal production: case of handloom industry in Varanasi, India

Although cultural and creative industries (CCI) have been recognized as drivers of sustainable development, those based in developing countries have received scant scholarly attention. Unlike technology-intensive CCIs concentrated in post-industrial cities of developed countries, CCIs in developing countries are majorly based upon cottage-based labour-intensive manufacturing of traditional crafts and artisanal products. Such production is typically led by artisan communities practising hereditary skill transfer over generations, while living in dense geographical clusters spread over urban and/or rural areas. Such a symbiotic interrelationship between place, culture, and economy has been explored in this paper by examining the geography of handloom production units in Varanasi, one of India’s oldest textile centres. Based on census data, location quotient analysis revealed that handloom weavers stay in two dense geographical clusters. Analysis of the sampled data on key qualitative attributes of production, particularly types of weaves and weaving techniques, identified spatial patterns to be heterogenous. It has been further argued that such heterogeneity is correlated with the distinctive identity of a weaver, which is shaped by his location, socio-economic status, and religious and sectarian belief. Hence, creative economic growth policies in developing countries require a deeper understanding of the latent socio-spatial structure of its artisanal production.

The Problems and Challenges of the Handloom Co-operative Societies in Varanasi District

The handloom sector has a unique place in our economy. It is necessary for all round development of any state to ensure that the economic and social benefits of development should reach all the sections of society. The investigation was an attempt to know the existing socio –economic condition of co-operative society’ head,their constraints, evaluation of government welfare programs and schemes, co-operative society’ structure and condition, strength of handloom industry and future of handloom weavers and handloom industry. The present study has been conducted in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh which is one of the major handloom hubs. It is based on primary and secondary data. The present study was conducted in two cluster-Ram agar and Bajardiha .Out of 350 Handloom Co-operative Society 15 Co-operative Society were randomly selected and each societies 10 Handloom weavers were randomly selected.50 Master weavers and 51 weavers working under master weavers, 49 Independent weavers were purposively selected from densely populated area of Varanasi of handloom weavers. Total 370 Handloom weavers were selected and 15 head of the co-operative societies were selected for the study. A structured interview schedule was prepared and administered on respondents through personal interview method and observation method of data collection. Secondary data for study collected from the published and unpublished sources, annual reports, research, journals and various related websites. Data were analyzed with the help of appropriate statistical tools like Frequency, Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation T test and F test.The computer software SPSS 16 was also used to find results. for finding out the socio –economic background of respondents the B.G.Prasad’s scale of Socio Economic Status 2017 were used and results were drawn from it. The cooperative heads are getting tough to cope up with modern technology due to unawareness and illiteracy. Thereby they only able to perform old traditional work and are creating designs which are getting out dated day by day. Findings of the study will provide a guideline to the planners , administrators and handloom weavers also for development and strengthening the Handloom industry.

Modeling of barrier in the adoption of omnichannel marketing: a case of Indian handloom industry

Purpose This study aims to explore the essence of the omnichannel in the handloom industry’s development and to identify, analyse and estimate the barriers obstructing the implementation of the omnichannel in the handloom industry of India. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive literature review and expert opinion are used to identify the barriers obstructing the successful realisation of the omnichannel in the handloom industry of India. Moreover, interpretive structural modeling and the matrix of cross-impact multiplications applied to classification are used to analyse and estimate the impact of these barriers. Findings This research suggests the implementation of the omnichannel is subjected to several barriers, specifically lack of government support and policies, uncertainty in business contract partners, poor reverse logistics system, etc. Originality/value This research explores the contribution of the handloom industry to the socioeconomic development of the rural and semi-urban Indian population. It also explores the need for government support for the survival and growth of the handloom industry. It also explains how omnichannel can support this industry for its survival and its overall development. Furthermore, factors inhibiting the implementation of the omnichannel in the handloom industry are identified and evaluated based on their over impact.

EPICRAFT- Ecommerce for Artisans

Epicraft is an e-commerce platform that aims to promote India's handicraft and handloom industry. The Platform is developed using the MERN technology stack, featuring a React-based frontend and a Node.js-powered backend, providing a seamless user experience. The system employs MongoDB for data storage and management, while Stripe is integrated as the payment gateway to ensure secure and hassle-free transactions. The project is hosted on Heroku and Netlify, offering high reliability, scalability, and accessibility to users. Epicraft enables artisans from different regions of India to showcase and market their unique and high-quality products to a global audience. Buyers can browse and purchase authentic Indian handicrafts and handloom items with ease, as the platform provides smooth navigation and a user-friendly interface. The shopping platform includes features such as secure payment gateways, a simple checkout process, and prompt delivery to guarantee a seamless shopping experience. Epicraft is hosted on Heroku and Netlify, ensuring the platform's scalability, security, and dependability. The platform's emphasis on Indian handicrafts and handlooms has the potential to revitalize and uplift this industry, contributing to the country's cultural and economic advancement. In summary, Epicraft is an exceptional and innovative endeavor that merges traditional Indian art with modern technology, creating a platform that connects artisans and customers, sparks creativity, and promotes India's rich cultural heritage.

Shifting consumers’ mindset towards the growth of sustainable fashion practices in India

The concept of sustainability is becoming increasingly important to Indian customers. Millennials are recognized to be the most active, intelligent and sensitive buyers and consumers. This article focuses on millennials, because India has the world’s largest millennial population. Millennials are known for their high spending power and desire for eco-friendly workplaces and products. Indian millennials are more concerned about their buying behaviours’ environmental effects than their social and economic effects. The transformation of consumer behaviour towards more environmentally responsible consumption is a challenge for many countries, including India. It is not enough to have socially responsible firms that make environmentally friendly goods or to create standards for regulatory compliance; one must also meet customers’ growing need for ecologically responsible fashion. As time passed, consumers have become more enlightened about the products they purchase and how they are made. Consumers now want to make socially responsible purchases that boost their wardrobes. Large global fashion companies are increasingly prioritizing an ethical and transparent fashion industry that honours clients and the local ecosystem. Slow designer brands develop sustainable and ethical clothing by providing safe work environments to labourers, partnering with handloom industries and talented artisans to create handmade goods, employing green products or recyclable materials and upcycling post-production and post-consumer waste. The growing movement towards fashion that is both environmentally and socially responsible can be seen clearly in India. New and established fashion companies are transforming daily to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly clothes by embracing new innovative approaches, new designer brands and new supply chain systems. This research’s main goal is to understand the shifts that sustainable fashion recommends, which are also necessary for ethical production and consumption. The goal is to uncover clients’ psychological buying habits and persuade them to shift their decision to buy sustainable clothes.

Psychological Capital, Work Engagement and Affective Organizational Commitment among Employees of the Handloom Industries in Sri Lanka

The study examined the effect of psychological capital on work engagement and employees’ affective organizational commitment of employees in the weaving canters of the Handloom sector in Sri Lanka. Further, it attempts to find out the effect of psychological capital on work engagement and affective organizational commitment of employees of the Handloom industries in Sri Lanka. The study expands the literature on relevance by contextualizing it in one of Sri Lanka's indigenous sectors of the Handloom industry based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory and the Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) Theory. Data was collected from 361 employees in the Handloom industry in Sri Lanka by applying the second thumb rule of Ringle et al (2012). The quantitative analytical technique was employed in this study through Smart Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling. The study revealed that psychological capital has positively related to affective organizational commitment and work engagement, the association between psychological capital and affective organizational commitment was mediated by work engagement. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on both the JD-R theory and COR theory by expanding the theoretical understanding of the mediation effect of work engagement in the relationship between psychological capital and affective organizational commitment.