What Are the Centres of Handloom Products in India?

Indian handloom industry is flourishing with government patronage. Indian loom operators produce clothes and carpets for the entire world. 

Handloom clothes need no introduction as everyone buys them. These colorful garments are manufactured in rural areas but they are sold in international markets. Also, the demand for these garments is increasing day by day. They get their name from the machine used for manufacturing the garments. It is a loom on which these clothes are weaved.

Who introduced loom in India?

In India, weaving clothes in a loom is part of the rural culture where people have set looms in their homes. Earlier machines were operated with hands but technology changed the way looms were run. Today they are run by motors. The history of looms in India can be dated back to the Indus period. People in rural areas kept using looms for making garments. Earlier the garments were manufactured for local markets but today they are produced for international markets.

Indian handloom is rural India's way of life, culture, and tradition. There is hardly any state, city, town, or village untouched by this simple machine. Travelers from across the globe come here to see people working on looms and get surprised to see people making beautiful designer dresses on looms. 

Here’re the most popular handloom cities in India

1. Jaipur

The capital of Rajasthan has a rich history of royal patronage that allowed the looms to flourish during the medieval period. The clothes produced on Rajasthani looms include bandhani, gota patti, zari, and kinara. If you ever visit this city, you can see people working on looms and producing colorful garments with distinct features for both domestic and international markets. In medieval times, they have royal patronage and today they get support from the central government.

2. Varanasi

Any list of handloom manufacturers in India is incomplete without including Banaras or Varanasi. Situated on the bank of the holy river Ganga, it is home to millions of loom workers who work day and night to meet the growing demand for Banarasi silk sarees. These sarees come in vivid colors and some of them even have gold and silver threads in them. From here, these sarees travel thousands of miles to the US and European markets.

3. Surat

This western city is famous for synthetic textile products. Gujarati Bandhanis need a specific mention as these clothes are very popular in Western countries. Travelers visiting this city never forget to visit looms and buy clothes as gifts for their family and friends in their respective countries. This city also has a rich history of looms. The local government of Gujarat supports and promotes the loom industry of Surat.

4. Panipat

This small city of Haryana is called the city of looms due to the large concentration of loom operators in the city. Panipat handloom products can be found in domestic and international markets. These products have captured almost every international market. The loom industry of Panipat is flourishing with the support of local and central government. The loom operators are provided financial support and training so they produce quality goods.

5. Lucknow

Chikankari of Lucknow is world famous and the surprising thing is that it is produced on looms. The Lucknow handloom industry supplies kurtas, caps, and sarees to the world. Lucknow is the city of nawabs and those royal rulers gave patronage to loom operators. The loom industry flourished under royal patronage and became popular. Today this industry caters to the needs of international buyers.

6. Bhadohi

Popular in the carpet industry, Bhadohi looms weave carpets for the whole world. Considering the role of Bhadho in making the handloom clothes of India popular in the world, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that this small city of UP has a special place in the country. It produces carpets that are exported to different markets across continents.

7. Kota

A small city in Rajasthan but with a big intro in the handloom industry, the Kota loom industry is known for using a combination of threads that give a distinct checkered appearance to the products. Kota loom operators design sarees with cotton and silk. These sarees are recognized for their square-like pattern. Together with Jaipur, Kota makes Rajasthan a handloom state of India.

8. Maheshwar

Weavers from Mandu came to the small town in Madhya Pradesh and set up their looms. They make handloom products with floral borders, stripes, and checks. They weaved clothes for royal families and elite customers of the society. Today they weave fabrics for world markets. Their products have a high demand in international markets including US and Europe. They also get government patronage that helps them reach international markets.

9. Chennai

It is a south Indian city known for zari silk sarees that are popular across the globe. Chennai has the largest spinning industry in India and this city weaves foreign currency for the country. The products made in this city are exported across the globe from where they bring foreign exchange for the country. 

There was a time when the Indian handloom industry was an unorganized sector. But the government took steps to organize the sector so the loom operators get everything they need to take their products to world markets. 

What help does the government provide to look, operators?

 The government first recognized loom operators' challenges and then prepared a detailed plan to help the loom industry. The government wants loom operators to send their products to the world markets. Loom operators needed raw materials at affordable prices to produce quality products that can compete in the world markets. Also, they needed training to operate machines.

 The government came up with the idea of forming a non-profit organization the handloom export promotion council in 1965. The council was assigned the job of helping loom operators in the best possible manner. The organization trains and equips the loom operators. It also finds markets for its products.