Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh has said that the spirit of Vocal for Local and Atmanirbhar Bharat has strengthened the country’s handloom sector, and it represents a unique identity of the country. Replying to supplementaries in the Rajya Sabha today, Mr Singh said, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the celebration of National Handloom Day was initiated for the first time in 2015. He said this initiative was meant to convey a message that the nation proudly recognises and appreciates the hard work, contribution, and heritage of its weavers.

Mr Singh said today nearly 95 per cent of the world’s handloom products are produced in India. He said the handloom sector is a women-led sector, where around 70 per cent of the participants are women. The Minister informed that at present, there are over 28 lakh looms in the country, out of which 25 lakh are located in rural areas. He said around 35 lakh 22 thousand weavers and workers are associated with this sector.

Mr Singh said that, earlier, workers did not have access to design centres or structured skill-development programs. He said, today, schemes like Samarth provide skill training and support to workers. The Minister said that the handloom sector has become an important source of self-employment. He said that more than 10 lakh people from SC and ST communities are engaged in this sector, contributing to both economic growth and social empowerment.