Handloom industry is the largest cottage industry in the country. The sector is very important from the point of view of its size and employment potential. It is still India’s second largest economic activity after agriculture and provides employment to around 90 million people. There are about 3.5 million looms in India, contributing about 7 % to the country’s GDP. The potential of the handloom sector is immense – in terms of credit formation in rural areas and livelihoods creation and in terms of domestic sales and exports. And, importantly, promoting and revitalizing the handloom sector will help to preserve the incredible skills of handloom weavers across the country. However, over the years, there have been huge challenges that have seen handloom artisans move from high skill livelihoods to unskilled labour markets.

As a part of its 3rd Long Term Strategic Plan (2016 to 2021), given the agriculture distress all across the country, under the banner of Living Looms of India, ACCESS proposes to focus on revitalizing the handloom sector.

During this Plan period, ACCESS proposes to adopt 20 handloom clusters across the country, and work with all the actors within the ecosystem – spinners, weavers, dyers, tailors. et al and through a clutch of integrated intertwined interventions, transform theses clusters into dynamic economic microcosms.

As a part of this new initiative, ACCESS has received some early breakthroughs. With support from SIDBI, ACCESS has completed a successful intervention with 500 weavers in Bhagalpur, 1000 weavers in Majuli Island, Assam, supported by Govt. of Assam (Assam Livelihoods Mission), A total of 600 weavers were mobilized in Maheshwar (Madhya Pradesh) and Kota (Rajasthan) supported by HSBC. HSBC has committed, in principle, to support the ACCESS Living Looms of India campaign on a long term basis. In the next phase, ACCESS in addition to Maheshwar & Kota will also start working in Nuapatna (Orissa) & Bankura (West Bengal).

The strategy to revitalize these handloom clusters is essentially market-based, responding to the three critical challenges that the handloom clusters face across the board, viz. the need to adopt and integrate new technology, infusion of new designs and product diversification and high value market linkages.

In each cluster, ACCESS teams identify master weavers; and with the help of renowned national / international designers, develop a wide range of new designs, introduce new weaving techniques and diversify the range of products. Once the prototypes are developed, each Master weaver is assigned a cohort of ten weavers from within the cluster. Through this process, not only do the weavers get trained in making the new products, but also helps in developing volumes for marketing. Once the products are developed, ACCESS teams on their own, in partnership with its specialised marketing agency Ode to Earth, as also through other market players seeks to link the products to high value markets. Wherever required, looms and dyeing techniques are upgraded. In each cluster, ACCESS sets up a Living Looms Resource Centre, which supports all the activities in the cluster.

As a part of this plan, a process of establishing a pan India weaver owned company has been established. This company called Living Looms of India is largely owned by the weavers themselves, while also creating the possibility of co-investments from potential impact investors. Weavers are sensitized on the need and significance of becoming equity owners of the company, and nominal share capital is collected from them as a part of its programme. ACCESS proposes to be engaged in each cluster for not more than two years. Thereafter, ACCESS will set up a mechanism to provide fee-based services on demand. There have been early successes from these cluster interventions. While a few nationally renowned fashion designers have lined up with the programme, a few strategic market linkages have also been established. Living Looms of India is expected to be a well-known brand, representing the best in handlooms.