Saving India’s Incredible Weaves

Textiles are the biggest employment generator in India after agriculture. While this is reflected in the GDP and export figures, it has not effectively led to bettering the lives of the farmers, the hand spinners and handloom weavers.

India is home to over 136 unique weaves and scores of hand-dyeing and printing techniques. Of these, around 55 weaves are on the verge of extinction. Although India has a large share in world trade of cotton yarn, its trade in garments is only 4% of the world’s total. Handloom contributes nearly 15% of cloth production in the country, and India accounts for 95% of the world’s hand-woven fabrics.

Although the share of handloom in textile production is small in terms of percentage and revenue at present, it provides employment to 4.4 million weaver families including women in rural areas. If the handmade textile market is expanded globally and nationally, it has the capacity to provide employment to millions more and become an active participant in the $900 billion global textile/garment industry.

Natural Fiber vs Synthetic Fiber

Textiles are divided into clothes made from natural and manmade fibers. Natural fibers include cotton, jute, wool, silk, flax, bamboo and hemp. Synthetic fibers include polyesters, nylons, rayon’s etc.

Today, polyesters have a 55% share in Global Fiber Market. Estimates suggest that more than 98% of future fiber production will be synthetics, and 95% of that synthetic fiber will be polyester.

The Hazards of Polyesters

Environmental Impact: 50 million tons of polyester was produced in 2015. Polyester sheds plastic filaments – possibly from daily wear and tear, but also in the wash. The filaments can make it into sewer systems and eventually into waterways.

Researchers found plastic fibers in samples from 29 tributaries of the Great Lakes in the US, in a 2016 study. These fibers make up 70% of all the plastic collected. They are absorbed by wildlife and work their way up the food chain.

Health Impact: Polyester was created in the 1950s, not by a textile mill, but by an American chemical company, DuPont. Chemicals present in clothes can enter the human body via dermal absorption. They can also enter via evaporation, or release due to wear and tear, resulting in inhalation and ingestion.

Being petroleum-based, polyester is also flammable. Many polyester fabrics are coated with flame-retardant chemicals, especially in children’s clothing. These chemicals have been associated with thyroid dysfunction in pregnant women, and interfering with neurological development in infants and children.

Government employees, especially in the civil services and hospitality sectors, could be encouraged to use organic handloom and khadi apparel at least on certain days of the week which can be mandated as Organic Clothing Day. If other corporate companies could be motivated to adopt such a policy within their companies it would be highly impactful. Wherever possible, unique textiles and weaves of each state can be incorporated into the design or uniform (particularly in industries such as airlines and hospitality).

Each state can rope in well-known designers and design houses to take on the role of ‘Textile Ambassadors’. Through their design ranges, they could play a significant part in showcasing some of the most quintessential fabrics of that state. These ambassadors can represent the state at various national and international events and prestigious avenues for exposure.

Every state in India is blessed with its own age-old traditional systems of weaves, prints and dyes. Until now, the onus of creating a market for these has been on state-run developmental agencies such as State-level Handloom Development Corporations and Apex Cooperatives with a handful of retail emporiums. These were successful in part but were unable to muster adequate business acumen and focus to sustain against the rigors of a market economy. Apart from this, scattered individual businesses like ours have been operating in a largely unorganized sector. Procurement and retail sales have been on largely ad-hoc systems. Handloom fairs and exhibitions are the only regular platform for Indian weaves to get nation-wide exposure. In the past few decades, a few large businesses (FabIndia, Anokhi and Good Earth for example) have made an attempt to make textiles from various states available across the nation. But the sheer mind-boggling variety of styles and techniques available make stocking and retailing a major issue for these individual-backed businesses like ours.

To address this gap in the supply chain, one recommendation is to develop state-wise enterprises based on the Public–Private model. Each state-wise enterprise is then committed to creating a lively market for its own textiles/garments on a national and international scale. This enterprise should be entirely committed to natural textiles and therefore it is of utmost importance to create awareness and demand in the fashion circles of the world.

• Indian embassies in cities with high fashion presence can be entrusted with the task of developing contacts with the design community and hosting events showcasing and introducing the local community to Indian textiles, weaves and clothing fashions. Top designers from India can be invited to such events. Business-to-business collaborations can be facilitated. Creating awareness of the environmental and health benefits of organic cotton should be a priority.
• Tax incentives can be offered for exporters who work exclusively with handloom and khadi. What we may lose as taxes, we will gain through international exposure. Rare and dying weaves should be listed for greatest benefits.

Apart from active involvement from the government, individual designers, corporations and experts from the textile industry can make a meaningful contribution through the following initiatives:

Design Facilitation

Adopt a Weave

Technical Intervention

Natural Dyeing Infrastructure

Market Access

Organic Cotton Farming

Skill Development