In Assam, handloom weaving is inexorably linked with Assamese culture and heritage. Handloom sector of Assam provide significant employment and craftsmanship to the skilled weavers engaged in the aged old traditional cottage industry. The sector is the second largest employer next to agriculture. As per 4th National Handloom Census conducted during 2019-20, more than 12.83 lakh weavers and 12.46 lakh handlooms are available in the state. The Government of Assam has established Directorate of Handloom & Textiles to provide developmental, promotional interventions with active support of the Govt. for qualitative and quantitative improvement of this sector. The geographical proximity of Assam to the countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and Cambodia provides logistical advantages to manufacturing units and entrepreneurs serving the markets of these countries. The Golden Thread Muga Silk and versatile Eri silk having worldwide demand is also an advantage of this sector. The state has a strong base in the sector and can become one of the best sectors for investment in production of handloom fabrics and made-ups for national and international markets.

Assam Handlooms at a glance (As per 4th NHC 2019-20)

AVAILABILITY OF RAW MATERIALS
⇒ Assam produces all 4 varieties of silk – Eri, Muga, Mulberry and Tassar
⇒ Produced 160 MT of Muga during 2020-21 and 3834 MT of Eri silk
⇒ Assam enjoys global monopoly in terms of Golden Silk Muga having GI registration
⇒ Golden Silk Muga and Versatile Silk Eri has great demand in Europe, USA, Japan, South Africa, Middle East etc.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

For the benefits of large numbers of handloom weavers of the state, the Government of Assam has established Directorate of Handloom & Textiles and its subordinate offices in every District and Sub-Divisions of the state having more than 2000 nos. of qualified technical and non- technical Officers and staffs. 

The Directorate runs:

⇒ 102 nos. Handloom Training Centres for upgradation of skills of unemployed youth in handloom techniques.
⇒ 4 nos. of Handloom Training Institutes to provides higher training on handloom and allied techniques.
⇒ 98 nos. of Weavers Extension Service Units to produce diversified and value added handloom fabrics with raw material and technical support of the department.
⇒ 20 nos. of Handloom Production Centres for in-house production of decorative and high value handloom clothes under the technical support of departmental staffs.
⇒ 1 no. Handloom Research and Designing Centre to carry out Research & Developmental works in handloom techniques and development of new textiles and decorative designs for the benefit of the handloom weavers of the state.

POLICIES ADDOPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT:

⇒ The Assam Government has adopted the "STATE HANDLOOM POLICY, ASSM 2017” to provide integrated and inclusive support to in terms of Subsidy on raw materials, revolving credit system, Working Capital subsidy, logistic etc. to the handloom weavers, entrepreneurs and sericulture farmer of the state and investors in the sector.
⇒ "TEXTILES & APPAREL POLICY, ASSAM 2018" has been adopted by the state Government with an aim to create avenues in textiles sector by establishing new small and medium industry in the state to provide more employment by optimal utilisation of raw materials attracting investment in the sector.

The policy provides interest subsidy on long term loan, power subsidy, employment generation subsidy etc. It also provides subsidy and incentives to the investors in the field of Technical Textiles, Textile & Apparel Park, Training Institutes, Spinning, Weaving, Dyeing etc.

MAJOR SCHEMES UNDER IMPLEMENTATION

STATE SECTOR SCHEMES:

a. Skill upgradation Programme: Running 102 nos. of Handloom Training Centres to provides yearlong training on handloom and other allied techniques to un employed youth.

b. Handloom Training Institute: Established 4 nos. of Handloom Training Institute to provide 1year duration upgraded higher training on handloom, textile designing, dyeing, entrepreneurship etc. to the passed out trainees from the Handloom Training Centres of the state.

c. Yarn Bank: Running 33 nos. of Yarn Banks in District and Sub-Divisional H.Q of the state to provide quality raw material in the form of cotton hank yarn @ 30% subsidised rate at the Mill Gate Price.

d. Income Generation Intervention to Handloom Weavers: Provides fly shuttle frame loom with working capital to the economically weaker weavers to take up handloom as livelihood.

e. Economic Upliftment Weavers: Provides financial grants to weaving SHG for skill upgradation, new looms and raw materials for their sustainable quality production and livelihood.

f. Handloom Model Village: Integrated and holistic development of a handloom village by proving end to end interventions to take up handloom weaving as a sustainable livelihood of the village weavers.

g. Handloom Cluster Development Programme: Providing need-based interventions to a handloom cluster comprising of 3 to 4 nearby villages for taken up handloom weaving as their livelihood in sustainable way commercially. Provides need-based skill upgradation training on weaving, designing etc. new looms and jacquards. Work-sheds to produce market led high value diversified handloom clothes.

h. SWANIRBHAR NAARI: State Flagship Programme. The Government will procure handloom made traditional items Gamocha, Aronai, Pazar, Dumer etc. directly from the indigenous weavers at quality benchmarking fixed price and will be sold through showrooms and outlets of ARTFED and AGMC Ltd. The eligible weavers can participate in the programme through a registration portal.

CENTRAL SECTOR SCHEMES:

a. National Handloom Development Programme: Block Leve Cluster: Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, GOI has sanctioned 59 nos.Block Level Clusters(BLC)now designated as Cluster Development Programme(CDP) covering 52,722 nos. of weavers for a total project cost of Rs. 94.48 cr.

b. Weavers MUDRA: Loans are provided at 6% subsidised rate of interest along with Rs. 10,000 as margin money to the handloom weavers without any collateral by the Commercial Banks.

c. SAMARTH: MOU has been signed with the Ministry of Textiles, GOI to trained up 17, 778 nos. of weavers under SAMARTH scheme. An amount of Rs. 748.07 lakh has been released during March’2020.

d. Marketing Promotion Scheme: Handloom Expos are organised in various level to provide marketing platform to the handloom weavers, co-operative societies, SHG/JLG, entrepreneurs etc. with the financial assistance of DC(H), MOT in and outside the state.

BUDGETORY PROVISION IN MINISTRY OF TEXTILES, GOI DURING 2022-23 :

Revenue: Rs. 12357.11 cr.
Capital : Rs. 25.032 cr.