Lok Sabha Question No. 3238 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-23
Subject: Incentives for Handloom Sector
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao, Debasree Chaudhuri

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3238 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2022

## INCENTIVES FOR HANDLOOM SECTOR

## 3238. SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN: MS. DEBASREE CHAUDHURI:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

- (a) whether the Government has approved a Production Linked Incentive Scheme for textile sector;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any special incentives are being planned for the handloom sector;

- (d) if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor;

(e) whether the handloom sector is only offered incentives to boost export;

(f) if so, the reasons for not providing incentives designed to promote production for domestic and local market; and

(g) the steps to be taken by the Government to promote the diversity in local handloom and handicraft instead of forcing standardization for exports?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज् य मंत्री ( श्रीमती दर्शना जरदोर् )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

(a) & (b): The Government has approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles with a budgetary outlay of Rs 10,683 crore to promote production of MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics and Products of Technical Textiles in the country. The objective is to enable Textile sector to achieve size and scale and to become competitive.

(c) to (g): Government  is  implementing  following  schemes  for  development  and  promotion  of handloom sector and welfare of handloom weavers across the country:

1. National Handloom Development Programme;
2. Raw Material Supply Scheme;

Under the above schemes, financial assistance is provided to the eligible handloom agencies/weavers for raw materials, Common  infrastructure development, marketing of handloom products in domestic/overseas markets, Weavers MUDRA Loans etc.

The  Government  has  taken  following  steps  to  promote  production  of  handloom  products  for domestic as well as overseas markets and welfare of handloom weavers across the country:

- i. Steps  have  been  taken  to  on-board  weavers  on  Government  e-Market  (GeM)  place  to  enable them to sell their products directly to various Government Departments and organizations. So far about 1.50 lakh weavers have been on-boarded on the GeM portal.
- ii. To  enhance  productivity,  marketing  capabilities  and  facilitate  better  incomes,  135  Handloom Producer Companies (PCs) have been formed in different States of the country.
- iii. Design  Resource  Centres  have  been  set  up  in  Weavers'  Service  Centres  at  Delhi,  Mumbai, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Kancheepuram to build and create design-oriented  excellence  in  the  Handloom  Sector  and  to  facilitate  weavers,  exporters, manufacturers  and  designers  access  design  repositories  for  sample/product  improvisation  and development.
- iv. Ministry  of  Textiles  has  undertaken  to  develop  Craft  Villages  in  Handloom  pockets  of  the country on important tourist circuits for integrated sustainable development of Handlooms and tourism with the combined effort of the State and the Central Governments.
- v. Weavers  are  facilitated  to  sell  their  products  online  and  23  e-commerce  platforms  have  been associated by Ministry of Textiles under a policy framework.
- vi. Marketing  platform  is  provided  to  the  handloom  agencies/weavers  by  organizing  marketing expos/events to sell their products.

Additionally, Government under its Market Access Initiative (MAI) scheme provides financial support to various Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) engaged in promotion of textiles and garments exports including handicrafts and handlooms, for organising and participating in trade fairs, exhibitions, buyerseller meets etc in foreign markets including United States of America (USA) and Europe.

Further, Office of Development Commissioner Handicrafts organises Design and Technology Development  Workshop  (DDW)  under  'National  Handicrafts  Development  Programme  (NHDP)' through various eligible organisations for the handicrafts artisans. This scheme component is focused to develop new designs as per needs of market, using the existing skills of artisans.