Context:
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) celebrated National Handloom Day on 7 August 2025 in Guwahati under the theme “Handloom for Reinvigorating the Rural Economy of Assam”. The event aimed to highlight the role of the handloom sector in driving rural development and women’s empowerment.
Key Highlights:
- Significance of Assam’s Handloom Sector:
- Assam has 12.83 lakh weavers, over 90% of whom are women.
- Known for products like the Assamese phulam gamosa.
- Key initiatives include Swanirbhar Naari portal, Integrated Handloom Park at Kaziranga, and Silk Tourism projects in Sualkuchi.
- NABARD’s Contribution:
- Over 8,000 weavers benefited from skill training, enterprise promotion, marketing support, and formation of Weavers Producer Organisations (WPOs).
- GI registration support for handloom products.
- Focus Areas Discussed:
- Eco-friendly weaving practices.
- Enhanced access to institutional credit.
- Convergence with government schemes.
- Marketing and export opportunities.
Weavers Producer Organisations (WPOs)
Weavers Producer Organisations are collective entities formed by handloom weavers to pool resources, improve bargaining power, access finance, and market their products collectively. They function similarly to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) but are dedicated to the handloom and weaving sector.
Objectives
- Strengthen the collective capacity of weavers.
- Enable direct market linkages to reduce dependence on middlemen.
- Facilitate bulk procurement of raw materials at lower costs.
- Provide access to government schemes, credit, and training.
