INTRODUCTION:

The Textile industry occupies a unique place in our country. One of the earliest to come into existence
in India, it accounts for 14% of the total Industrial production, contributes to nearly 30% of the total
exports and is the second largest employment generator after agriculture.
Today, India's textile sector comprises four important segments:
Modern textile mills
Independent Power looms
Handlooms and
Garments
ROLE OF HANDLOOM SECTOR:
The Handloom sector plays a very important role in the countrys economy. It is one of the largest
economic activities providing direct employment to over 65 lakhs persons engaged in weaving and
allied activities. As a result of effective Government intervention through financial assistance and
implementation of various developmental and welfare schemes, this sector has been able to
withstand competition from the power loom and mill sectors. This sector contributes nearly 19% of the
total cloth produced in the country and also adds substantially to export earnings. Handloom is
unparalleled in its flexibility and versatility, permitting experimentation and encouraging innovations.
The strength of Handloom lies in the introducing innovative designs, which cannot be replicated by the
Power loom sector. Thus, Handloom forms a part of the heritage of India and exemplifies the richness
and diversity of our country and the artistry of the weavers.
The Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms has been implementing, since its
inception in the year 1976, various schemes for the promotion and development of the handloom
sector and providing assistance to the handloom weavers in a variety of ways.
Some of the major programmes relate to:
Modernisation and Up gradation of Technology
Input Support
Marketing Support
Publicity
Infrastructural Support
Welfare Measures
Composite Growth Oriented Package
Development of Exportable Products
Research & Development
The various schemes implemented by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms
address the needs of weavers who constitute the disadvantaged social strata and occupational
groups, which are at the bottom of the economic hierarchy. Concerted efforts are being made through
the schemes and programmes to enhance production, productivity, and efficiency of the handloom
sector and enhance the income and socio-economic status of the weavers by upgrading their skills
and providing infrastructural support and essential inputs.

ONGOING SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES:

In order to provide financial assistance in an integrated manner to the handloom weavers and
strengthen the design segment of the fabric, Government of India had taken new initiatives in addition
to ongoing other schemes and programmes by launching new scheme, namely, Deen Dayal
Hathkargha Protsahan Yojana and set up a National Centre for Textile Design (NCTD) recently.
DEEN DAYAL HATHKARGHA PROTSAHAN YOJANA:
The scheme has come into operation with effect from April 2001. It is a comprehensive scheme for
handloom sectors to take care of a wide range of activities such as, product development,
infrastructural and institutional support, training of weavers, supply of equipment and marketing
support, etc. both at macro and micro levels in an integrated and coordinated manner for an overall
development and benefit of handloom weavers. It also, attempts to provide such facilities, which
would enable the weavers within co-operative fold as well as outside, to take up production as per the
market demand. The scheme attempts to assist the needs of weavers for working capital, basic
inputs, creating awareness and to support quality fabric productions through appropriate design
intervention for increase in productivity along with provision for publicity, marketing and transport
incentives, etc.
The Government of India has sanctioned a sum of Rs. 240.69 lakhs and released a sum of Rs.
120.28 lakhs as first installment Central share for implementation of 64 projects.
NATIONAL CENTRE FOR TEXTILE DESIGN (NCTD):
National Centre for Textile Design was set-up in January 2001 in Handloom Pavilion, Pragati Maidan,
New Delhi to promote traditional & contemporary designs to enable the textile industry, particularly the
Handloom sector, to be responsive to the rapidly changing market demand.
Objectives of the Scheme To link weavers to the market and provide him with adequate tools to respond to the rapidly
changing market situation and demands.
To link all people belonging to the textile industry with the developments in other fields.
To give weavers, workers and designers greater exposure and access to national and international
markets thereby giving them a better livelihood and avenues for more sustainable development.
ENFORCEMENT OF HANDLOOMS RESERVATION ACT:
The Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985 aims to protect millions of handloom
weavers from the encroachment made on their livelihood by the power loom operators and textile mill
sector, by reserving certain categories of textile articles for exclusive production by handlooms.
INPUT SUPPORT:
Handloom sector is largely dependent on the organized mill sector for supply of its principal raw
material namely yarns. This sector uses the bulk of its yarn in the form of hanks. The Central
Government ensures regular supply of yarn to the handloom sector by enforcing the order (Hank Yarn
Packing Notification) by making it obligatory on the spinning mills to pack a prescribed % of the yarn
produced by them in hank form.

MILL GATE PRICE SCHEME:

The Scheme was introduced in 1992-93 with an objective of providing all type of yarn to the handloom
weavers organizations at the price available at Mill Gate.
NATIONAL HANDLOOM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (NHDC)National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC), a Government of India undertaking, is the only
agency authorized to implement the scheme. The scheme benefits the following organizations and
their member weavers.
All Handloom Organizations of National/State/Regional level.
Handloom Development Centres;
Handloom producers/exporters/manufacturers registered with the Handloom Export Promotion
Council (HEPC) or any other Export Promotion Council under the Ministry of Textiles, or with the State
Directors of Industries;
All approved export houses/trading houses/star trading houses for production of handloom items;
Members of recognized/approved handloom associations;
NGOs fulfilling CAPART norms;
Any other agency, with the approval of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms;
All types of yarn required for production of handloom items are covered under the scheme.
The Government of India is bearing the entire expenditure under the Scheme. The yarn is being
arranged by NHDC from the mills as per the requirement of the user agencies and transported to the
go down of the agency.
Amount Released To NHDC Under This Scheme- -