The government on Friday said it has set up an eight-member committee to suggest a roadmap for doubling production and quadrupling exports of handlooms in three years. The committee, chaired by Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) Chairman Sunil Sethi, would submit its final report within 45 days.
The terms of reference of the committee include suggesting strategy and policy framework for doubling the production and for improving the quality of handloom products, the textiles ministry said in a statement. The panel would also put forth ways for collaboration of handloom weaver agencies with the designers, buying houses and institutions, organizations and exporters; and suggest measures for quadrupling exports. It would also suggest ways and means for improving the marketing of products; and improving input supplies (raw materials, credit, technology upgradation, skilling, designs), it said.
“The committee shall submit its preliminary recommendations within 30 days and final report within 45 days from the day of constitution of the committee,” it added. Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal recently stated that handloom production needs to be doubled from the present level of around Rs 60,000 crore in three years, and exports from Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 10,000 crore.
Members of the committee include NIFT Professor Sudha Dhingra; Freelance writer Shefali Vaidya; Saudamini Handlooms Owner Anagha Gaisas; Fashion Designer Suket Dhir; SKA Advisors MD Sunil Alagh; K N Prabhu from Paradigm International; and Hetal R Mehta, Chairman, Science Engineering and Technological Upliftment Foundation (SETU), Surat.