India Handloom brand

Introduction

Handloom fabrics and handloom weavers form an integral part of the rich culture, heritage and tradition of India. Apart from providing one of the basic needs of human beings, along with a sizable contribution to GDP and export, this Industry provides direct and indirect employment to lakhs of people in the rural and urban areas. Handloom is one of the largest employment providers after agriculture in India.  This sector provides employment to 43.31 lakh persons engaged on about 23.77 lakh handlooms, of which 10% are from scheduled castes,18% belong to the scheduled tribes, and 45% belong to other backward classes. Production in the handloom sector recorded a figure of 7116 million sq. meters in the year 2013-14. During 2014-15, production in the handloom sector is reported to be 3547 million sq. Meters (April-September-2014).

This sector contributes nearby 15% of the cloth production in the country and also contributes to the export earning of the country. Ninety five percent of the world’s hand woven fabric comes from India. It has been sustained by transferring skills from one generation to another. The strength of the sector lies in its uniqueness, flexibility of production, openness to innovations, adaptability to the suppliers’ requirement and the wealth of its tradition.

However, handloom industry needs to reorient itself for meeting the challenges being posed by rapid economic, social and technological changes. Efforts are required to produce defect free high quality handloom   fabrics according to contemporary consumer preferences, and also to ensure reasonable wages so that younger generation opt for this occupation.   With a view to promote this industry on a sustainable basis, it is deemed necessary to produce quality fabrics with new design for winning the trust and confidence of the consumers. The scheme is voluntary.

“India Handloom Brand” is an endorsement to quality of the handloom products in terms of raw material, processing, embellishments, weaving design and other parameters besides social and environmental compliances for earning the trust of the consumers. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the India Handloom Brand at Chennai on August 7, 2015 as part of the First ever National Handloom Day celebrations.

Objectives of the scheme

The objectives will be to promote a premium brand with stress on quality on the following:

• Ensure quality in designing and weaving and defect free product for safeguarding interest of the buyers.
• Ensure compliance with relevant social and environmental laws Conserve, promote culture and tradition relating to handlooms.
• Promote production of high-end products, and thereby increase wage earning of the weavers’ substantially; and,
• Facilitate marketing of handloom products through e-commerce.

Categories of Users

The entities/persons eligible to participate in India Handloom brand initiative would be

• Weavers
• Master Weavers
• Primary Co - operative Societies
• Apex Handloom Societies
• Retailers
• Exporters and
• Others . The Others category is especially included to cover Self Help Groups (SHG), Consortia, Producers Companies, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Handloom Weavers Groups (HWG) etc., identified under Integrated Handloom Development Scheme (IHDS) or any other legal entity or any other organization involved in handloom related activities and approved to avail benefits under any other scheme of Development C ommissioner for Handlooms. Any other organization willing to participate in the scheme shall be permitted with the approval of the office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms.

Products identified for Branding

1. Saree
   
   • Cotton:Jamddani,Tangail,Shantipiri,Dhaniakhali,Bichitrapuri,Bomkai,Kotpad,Pochampalli,Venkatgiri,Uppada,Siddipet,Narayanpet,Mangalagiri,Chetinad,Balaramapuram, Kasergod, Kuthampally, Chendmangalam  Dhoti
   • Silk:-Baluchari, Mugasilk, Sulkuch silk, Khandua, Berhampuri, Bomkai Silk, Benares Brocade,Tanchoi,Benarasi,Butidar,Jangla,BenarasiCutwork,Pochampally,Dharmavaram, Kanchipuram, ArniSilk, Molkalmuru, Paithani, Patola, Champasilk, Ashawali Silk, Salem Silk(Dhoti), Uppada, Jamdani
   • Cotton Silk Saree :-  Chanderi, Maheswari, Kota Doria, IIKal, Gadwal, Covai Kora Cotton
2. Dress materials -
   
   • Cotton: Odisha Ikat,Pochampalli Ikat
   • Silk :Tanchoi, Benarasi, Cutwork, ,Odisha Ikat, Pochampally Ikat, Tassar Fabric, Muga Fabric,  Mekhala/ Chadar
3. Bed sheets
   • Odisha Ikat, Pochampally Ikat
4. Scarf /Shawl/Chadar
   

   Kani Shawl, Kinnori Shawl, Kulu Shawl, Tangaliya Shawl, Kutch Shawl, Wangkhei  Phee

Application Fee and Registration Fee

• There will be no application fee for any of the applicants.
• The application forms will be made available with the offices of the Textiles Committee and Weavers ’ Service Centre free of cost. Also it is available on www.textilescommittee.gov.in or www.handlooms.nic.in for free download. Online application can be accessed at http://www.handloommark.gov.in/handloommarkregistration.aspx
• The registration fee for all the categories has been fixed at Rs. 500/ - (Rupees Five hundred only) per item . One application can be for more than one item .
• The applicants shall pay applicable registration fees at the time of submission of application.
• The registration shall be done after On - site verification of the above categories.
• The registration shall be valid for a period of 3 years from the date of registration.
• On the basis of the track record of maintenance of quality standards of the products, the registered applicant shall be allowed to use the brand after 3 years also. The registration has to be renewed after 3 years by paying applicable registration fees and following the procedures for registration.

Submission of Application form

Submission of Application in physical form: The filled - in application i s required to be submitted in duplicate along with the sample of the products . As a token of receipt of application, the duplicate copy will be returned to the applicant duly allotting the application no. with the signature of the concerned officer .

Online application: Those who wish to submit online application are provided with the facility to do so by submitting the online application in the provision made in www.textilescommittee.gov.in. They have been provided with the option to download the application form from the website; fill - up the details and submit it online. However, a copy of the application along with printout of submission receipt and the sample of the products should be submitted subsequently to the concerned office. The concerned Regional Office (RO) of Textiles Committee or the offices of the Weavers ’ Service Centre shall carry out the scrutiny of application wherever the application is filed.

The application shall be enclosed with the sample of the pro ducts for which the “ India Handloom” brand is sought for along with the physical and quality parameters of the products viz,

• Count of warp and weft yarns
• Construction of the product, ends/inch, picks/inch etc
• Fibre content like cotton, silk, pashmina, wool, etc.
• Dimensions like length and width of the products
• Colour fastness to sunlight, washing and rubbing
• Usage of natural dyes and azo - free synthetic dyes
• Type of zari and other embellishments
• Any other specifications of the product,
• Compliance with law relating to child labour, conservation of environment and checking of pollution.

In case of high valued products, the detailed physical and quality parameters as given above along with the sample of the left over raw materials like yarn, dyes, zari, etc. needs to be enclosed for testing .

Payment Procedure

• The mode of payment shall be through Cheque, Demand Draft or online transfer.
• Cheques and Demand Drafts shall be drawn in favour of "Textiles Committee" payable at the name of the location of the Regional Office (RO) of Textiles Committee (TC).
• Applications submitted to the offices of Weavers Service Centre (WSC) shall draw cheque/DD in favour of “Textiles Committee” payable at Mumbai.
• Online payment may also be made through the “Online Payment” tab available on Textiles Committee website www.textilescommittee.gov.in. Those who are submitting the online application should make the payment of registration fee through “online mode” for which they will be provided an auto - generated receipt.

Processing of Application

• The offices of the Weavers ’ Service Centre and Textiles Committee without laboratories shall forward a copy of the application along with the enclosures to the nearby laboratories of the Textiles Committee for conformity assessment within two days of the receipt of application .
• The laboratories shall conduct the conformity assessment within 5 working days and submit the report to the concerned offices of the Weavers ’ Service Centre or Textiles Committee offices

On - Site Verification

• On - site verification shall be carried out by concerned RO of Textile Committee/WSC to ascertain the authenticity of the products and applicant besides social and environmental compliances.
• On - site verification is mandatory for all the applicants.
• The on - site verification process shall be completed within fifteen days from the date of receipt of application.

Registration

• The office of the Textiles Committee/Weavers’ Service Centre shall scrutinise the application in comparison with the test report and forward a recommendation letter to the office of the Textile Committee, Mumbai for issuance of registration number.
• On reviewing the recommendation letter, office of the Textile Committee, Mumbai shall issue a registration number to the application under intimation to the office of DC (HL) .
• The registration certificate shall then be issued to the applicant by the office of the Textile Committee, Mumbai .
• A soft copy of the logo in Compact Disk (CD) shall be made available to the registered “ India Handloom ” Brand and shall be allowed to use the log.

Online portal of India Handloom Brand

The website - http://www.indiahandloombrand.gov.in/ is a one stop platform for all services to consumers, bulk buyers and handloom producers. The following services will be offered through the website

• Provide full details of all registered India Handloom producers which will facilitate verification of genuine India Handloom product by customers.
• Customers can verify the genuineness of the Brand logo through the registration no. which is printed on every label on the product.
• Provide information about the retail stores and e-commerce platform from where India Handloom branded products can be purchased.
• Porvide brief description of every product category and tips to identify genuine products.
• Provide contact details of India Handloom Brand producers are made available for bulk buyers like retail stores, garment manufacturers who will able to directly access the handloom producers registered under the Brand.
• Handloom producers can apply online for registration under the Brand and can also track status of their application.

Source : Ministry of Textiles

Related Resources

1. FAQs on India Handloom Brand