As per 3rd handloom census, there are 43.31lakh handloom weavers and allied workers in the country. The Government has promulgated the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985 to protect the interest of handlooms weavers in the country. Central Assistance is provided under the Scheme to the eligible State Governments for effective implementation of the Act.
Under the schemes, financial assistance is provided for raw materials, purchase of looms and accessories, design innovation, product diversification, infrastructure development, skill upgradation, lighting units, marketing of handloom products and loan at concessional rates. Those cooperative societies which are not functioning well can also improve their performance by utilizing the assistance given under these schemes.
With respect to connectivity, transportation and logistics plays a significant role in connecting the small scale handloom weavers to the market places of the cities and towns. A good and safe network is required to safely send the handcrafted goods from these weavers. AKR Express Pvt Ltd has been filling this space and has been playing a major role for the last 20 years in hand holding the small scale weavers from small towns and villages and safely delivering their goods to the destinations. AKR Express parcel service provides vital connectivity with its 300+ collection and delivery points, delivering textile parcels and part loads with high efficiency and speed. Majority of the weavers and handloom industry rely on seasonal demand, and speed to market, to get their goods to the towns unlike the power looms . Moreover with Parcel service to Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Erode, Vellore, Tirupur, AKR Express is able to connect tier 2 and tier 3 cities to the major markets and distributors.
Reference – https://pib.gov.in/