Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], August 7 : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the State Government has taken meaningful steps to uplift Gujarat's handloom weavers by supporting their skills and preserving their rich cultural legacy.
According to a release, as part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen handloom cooperative societies, the Department of Cottage and Rural Industries, Government of Gujarat, is implementing a package scheme that supports industrial cooperative societies registered under the Cooperatives Act.
Through this initiative, these societies receive rebates on the sale of handloom products. In the year 2024-25, over 246 handloom cooperative societies across Gujarat benefited from the initiative, leading to handloom product sales worth over Rs 290 crore. This progress is a sign of the growing strength and resilience of the handloom sector in the state.
It is worth noting that the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, declared August 7 as National Handloom Day in 2015, to honour handloom weavers and promote the handloom industry nationwide. The day highlights the cultural, traditional, and economic importance of handlooms.
As per the release, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated, "The government is working with a clear strategy to provide the world's largest market to its weavers." Since then, National Handloom Day has been observed every year on August 7 to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of weavers and celebrate the role of handlooms in preserving India's rich heritage and sustaining rural livelihoods.
To boost the sale of handloom products during festivals and improve their market competitiveness, the Government of Gujarat has introduced a rebate (package) scheme. Designed to increase the accessibility and appeal of handloom goods, the initiative offers a rebate on sales made by handloom cooperative societies.
Under the scheme, handloom cooperative societies receive a 5% rebate on the sale of handloom products, while women's cooperative societies are provided a 15% rebate. Additionally, for 120 days each year, women's cooperative societies receive a special rebate of 15% and 20% on sales. As a result of these consistent efforts, over 246 handloom cooperative societies recorded sales worth over Rs 290 crore in the year 2024-25. On this sale, the Government of Gujarat provided a rebate on handloom product sales amounting to Rs 73.82 crore to these cooperative societies, reflecting its commitment to the upliftment of handloom weavers.
The Government of Gujarat has launched several schemes to support handloom weavers, improve the production quality, market competitiveness, and generate employment opportunities. The key initiatives under these schemes include:
Support for Leading Handloom Institutions in Advertising and Promotion: Under this scheme, the Government of Gujarat provides assistance to prominent handloom institutions across the state, along with Gujarat State Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd., to participate in exhibitions within and outside Gujarat and to carry out advertising and promotional activities.
Institutions can receive up to Rs 70,000 for participating in exhibitions within the state and up to Rs 1,50,000 for organising exhibitions outside the state. Additionally, the government offers Rs 1,00,000 per year for advertising and Rs 25,000 for participation in fairs and exhibitions. This initiative promotes handloom products and accelerates employment generation for weavers.
Mill Gate Price Scheme: The scheme supports weavers in producing high-quality handloom products, improving their market value and expanding employment opportunities. Under this scheme, a 15% subsidy is offered on the purchase of quality yarn through approved depots in the state.
To strengthen the skills of weavers and enhance the market competitiveness of handloom products, the Gujarat State Handloom and Handicraft Development Corporation offers both short-term and long-term training programmes, along with a monthly stipend of Rs 4,500 per trainee.
The Corporation also works in collaboration with the Weavers Service Centre, NID, and NIFT to develop value-added products, new designs, and prototypes, helping handloom products stand strong against mill and powerloom alternatives.
In addition to training and product development, focused marketing efforts are undertaken to increase the visibility of handloom products. These include promotional campaigns through hoardings, kiosks, wall paintings, road shows, fashion shows, and other platforms. Marketing is carried out both within Gujarat and across India under 'Garvi-Gurjari' brand, supported by e-commerce channels and a network of Emporia.
The reach of these products is further expanded through various exhibitions and expos organised by Industrial Extension Cottages (iNDEXT-c).