The National Handloom Development Corporation Ltd (NHDC) has kick-started one of its major initiatives ‘Silk Fab’ to connect consumers and weavers at one platform from Mumbai recently. Ujjwal Uke, IAS, Principal Secretary (Textile), Government of Maharashtra has inaugurated ’Silk Fab’ at World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. Around 100 agencies belonging to 14 states will be participating in this initiative. This includes state government agencies, primary handloom weavers cooperative societies, and the agencies working under the recently started integrated handloom development scheme. The primary handloom weavers co-operative societies are recommended by their respective state governments.
NHDC has received very good response for the ‘Silk Fab’ from both consumers and weavers. About 24 such events are organised in major Indian cities and has become a must visit event for handloom connoisseur. The first of this season’s Silk Fab was held in Mumbai.
The handloom sector of India employs 65 lakh persons directly or indirectly which is next only to agricultural sector in the country. The art of handloom weaving have traditional values attached to it and each region have exquisite varieties. The famous of silk products such as Pochampally, Muga Silk, Paithani, Kosa Silk, Baluchuri, and Tussar the name of a few attracts customers across the globe with exclusives weaves, designs and traditional motifs. Through these exhibitions, handloom agencies not only market their products at reasonable rates but also get to know customers choice with regard to colour, design and weaving for future improvement of the product.
The Government of India has launched the ‘Handloom Mark’ scheme for handloom products and ‘Silk Mark’ for genuinity of silk products to encourage and give a distinct identity to the products, apart from highlighting the uniqueness of the products. It also serves a guarantee for the buyer that the product being purchased is genuinely handwoven. All the exhibitors at the Silk Fab have been encouraged to display the ‘Handloom Mark’ and ‘Silk Mark’ tag on the products and thus aim to improve the earnings of the handloom weaver community.
The exhibition will be open for public for two weeks from July 15-28, 2016.