The Indian handloom industry, the largest unorganised sector after agriculture, is known for its unique and vibrant hand-woven, spun and printed textiles.
India produces several traditional and contemporary products such as sarees, kurtas, shawls, bed linen, rugs, kitchen linen, decorative furnishing, fabrics, etc.
The handloom industry in India employs about 3 million of the rural population in direct and allied activities.
The handloom industry employs
3.5 million across the country, of which about 2.5 million are women, as per the Handloom Census 2019-20.
The history of handloom in India dates back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. Archaeologists have uncovered whorls and spindles used to spin cotton dating back to the ancient civilisation.
Over the centuries, Indian handloom arts were shaped by various empires, such as the Mughal Empire with its muslin and silk fabrics and the Vijayanagara Empire with their gold-threaded brocades.
India offers a diverse range of textiles from Pashmina, Bansari and Phulkari in the North, Chanderi and Maheshwari from Central India, Patola, Ikat and Bandhani in the West, Jamdani in the East and Kanjeevaram in the South.
Handloom was a major source of income for people until the early 19th century when the British introduced textile mills.
The British heavily taxed Indian textile exports, while levying relatively lower taxes on British textile imports to India, thereby crippling the Indian textile industry.
On 7th August, 1905, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the “Swadeshi movement” promoting indigenous goods especially the Indian handicrafts.
In 2015, the Government of India declared 7th August every year as the “National Handloom Day.”