Govt forms panel for road map to quadruple handloom exports in 3 years

In a major boost to the employment-generating textiles sector, the government on Friday constituted an eight-member committee to double the production and quadruple the exports of handlooms in three years. The textiles ministry setup the committee under Sunil Sethi, Chairman, Fashion Design Council of India and said the panel will submit final report within 45 days.

“The terms of reference of the committee include suggesting strategy and policy framework for doubling the production and for improving the quality of handloom products,” the textiles ministry said in a statement.

The committee has been setup amid textiles minister Piyush Goyal setting a target to raise handloom production to Rs 1.25 lakh crore from Rs 60,000 crore now and increase handloom exports to Rs 10,000 crore from Rs 2,500 crore in three years’ time. The announcement was made on the occasion of National Handloom Day on August 7.

Sethi is managing Director, Alliance Merchandising, a sourcing and buying company.

Members of the committee include National Institute of Fashion Technology Professor Sudha Dhingra; freelance writer, influencer and textile expert Shefali Vaidya; Saudamini Handlooms Owner and Paithani revivalist Anagha Gaisas; fashion designer Suket Dhir; SKA Advisors MD and former MD and CEO of Britannia Industries Sunil Alagh; K N Prabhu from Paradigm International and member of HEPC Executive Committee, and Hetal R Mehta, Chairman, Science Engineering and Technological Upliftment Foundation (SETU), Surat. Mehta, a textile

technocrat, is also president, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).

As per the statement, the panel would also put forth ways for collaboration of handloom weaver agencies with the designers, buying houses and institutions, organizations and exporters, and improving the marketing of products, improving input supplies such as raw materials, credit, technology upgradation, skilling and designs.

“The committee shall submit its preliminary recommendations within 30 days and final report within 45 days from the day of constitution of the committee,” the ministry added.

Zonal Directors, Manoj Jain and S. Bandyopadhyay will be associated with the committee to facilitate in providing necessary inputs.