India Handloom brand has been launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on the occasion of the first National Handloom Day on August 7, 2015. The Handloom Mark Scheme was launched by the Government of India on June 28, 2006 to provide assurance to the consumers about authenticity of handloom products. However, it did not cover the aspect of product quality assurance. Therefore, the India Handloom brand has been launched with an initiative of the following aspects,

• Branding of high quality handloom products with zero defects and zero effect on the environment.
• It would differentiate high quality handloom products and help in earning trust of customers by endorsing their quality in terms of raw materials, processing, embellishments, weaving design and other quality parameters and by ensuring social and environmental compliances in their production.
• The registration for India Handloom will be granted to certain specified eligible entities in respect of identified product categories which meet prescribed quality parameters.

• To earn the trust of consumers by endorsing the quality of handloom products in terms of raw materials, processing, embellishments, weaving design and other quality parameters.
• To ensure social and environmental compliances in production of handlooms.
• To create a niche market space for high quality handloom products which cater especially to the demand for diverse products among the younger generation and export markets with high growth potential.
• To increase the earnings of the weavers.

The India Handloom brand initiative is intended to bring the following benefits to various stakeholders of the handloom sector:

• Handloom products with the premium India Handloom brand would be differentiated from other products in terms of quality.
• Through the brand, the customer will be assured that the product quality is high because of proper texture, use of good quality yarns and dyeing with safe dyes which are free from banned amines.
• Bulk buyers and exporters will be able to source quality branded fabrics as per their designs.
• Weavers will be able to get bulk orders and higher wages by interacting directly with the market.
• Weaver entrepreneurs and other manufacturers will take up production and marketing of quality handloom fabrics in bulk within and outside the country.
• Ministry of Textiles will actively promote the brand through media campaigns to raise awareness among manufacturers as well as consumers and create demand for products with the India Handloom brand.

The Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Government of India, Ministry of Textiles has engaged National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) Ltd., as the Implementing agency for promotion of Indian Handlooms as a Brand, undertaking 360 degree campaign for promoting hand-woven articles in overseas and domestic Media Campaigns, participate in overseas and in domestic events and production of creative and publicity material under the ‘Indian Handlooms’ brand line.

The primary objective of these campaigns is to develop a premium brand, promoting them as niche products based on high quality defect free, socially and environmentally compliant products. NHDC under the umbrella of Office of DC (Handloom) intends to begin its campaign portraying the strengths of Indian Handlooms and hand wovens, highlighting the intrinsic craftsmanship and extraordinary skills. The campaign will use various media to generate a special market space and increased earning to the weavers.

Branding “India Handloom” India has a long tradition of excellence in making high quality handloom products with extraordinary skills and craftsmanship which are unparalleled in the world. These products are not just cloth material or traditional wear but it is symbolic to the Indian culture, tradition and civilization.

The handloom product basket consists of generic products of mass consumption to the high value added products of high reputation and demand. The intricate workmanship of the handloom products not only provides this segment a unique identity of its own but also guarantees its future success.

Further, to-days’ market demands a socially compliant defect free product, meeting the quality need of the socio-environmentally conscious consumers. Therefore, there is a need for focusing on the production of high value cloths of reputation, which are socio-environmentally friendly and defect free. Further, there must be continuous efforts for innovation and experimentation across regional weaves and fibers according to the fashion change for unique products to woo the niche market segment without compromising the social and environmental compliances. Such an effort will sustain development of the industry and also for substantial increase in the income of the artisans. These unique niche products needs to be promoted under ‘Brand India Handloom’ for generating a special market space and increased earnings to the weavers. Thus the Concept of Brand India Handloom is to brand the niche handloom products which are exclusively catering to the demand of the high end consumers.

Accordingly, the concept behind the program aims is developing:

• A premium brand for the Indian Handloom Products;
• Leverage on the contemporary and traditional designs;
• Assure quality and reap the benefit of reputation of the Indian handlooms;
• Providing an assurance to the customers on the defect free product of the sector;
• Producing a socially and environmentally compliant product as demanded by the modern consumers