Design studio to assist weavers in marketing

NHDC sets up online venture at Mangalagiri; buyers can place orders directly with weavers

National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) Chief Manager Ganesh on Monday said that a new design studio was established at Mangalagiri to help weavers.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a seminar on weavers, he said the studio was an online venture and would provide complete information about the weavers and their products. “Buyers can contact the weavers directly and place their orders. This system removes the middlemen,” he pointed out. The studio will also assist weavers on new trends, fashion inputs and look into technical aspects concerning looms.

Mr. Ganesh said that the NHDC has set up an office in Vijayawada with an intention to take care of interests of the weavers of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

He said the corporation was following a two-pronged strategy. “We offer raw materials such as yarn and silk at a concessional rate (10 per cent subsidy) and help create marketability to the products. We are offering two schemes - Yarn Supply Scheme and Mill Gate Price Scheme ”.

He said the handloom sector was suffering owing to competition from the powerloom sector. “Poor marketing is adding to their woes. We have provided online portal www.indiahandmadebazaar.com which acts a platform to bring them close to the buyers.”

He said that for a tropical country like India, handloom garments had the potential to flourish as they were best suited for the humid climate. “The high labour cost and high price of the garment are proving detrimental to its growth. The raw materials are same for handloom and powerloom garments but the price of the products differs. Handloom garments are priced thrice more than that of a powerloom garment.”

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/design-studio-to-assist-weavers-in-marketing/article19105790.ece