HYDERABAD: To promote the cotton handloom industry, Dastkar Andhra Marketing Association has organised an exhibition and sale of cotton handlooms with a 25 per cent discount in the city. The organisation works with 25 co-operatives and four independent weaver groups and on a diverse marketing strategy that includes retailer servicing, direct sales, local shops and exhibitions. “The response has been very moderate this year till now, but in comparison to last year, it is much better. People are not that crazy about handloom cotton and prefer power loom cotton anyday,” says Prasanna Lakshmi, manager (stock and finance), DAMA.“Since people shop during Ashada and Shravan masam, and that is why we thought of organising an exhibition now. We are expecting the crowd to increase in a day,” she says adding, “Every year we diaplay a stock worth `15-20 lakh, and also we offer a discount, in a hope to make the handloom industry more popular among people. Most of our workers are appointed by our organisation and most of them are a part of weaver’s societies in the Telanagana belt, Karimnagar, East Godavari and Srikakulkam.” Pointing out that handloom fabric is a viable and environment-friendly product, Lakshmi says it has a huge potential for growth.“This is the belief of our organisation. The cotton handloom industry continues to be the second largest employer in India after agriculture.More than 200,000 weaver families are actively involved in the craft and livelihood even today in Andhra Pradesh alone.” On display are yardage in zari and thread patterns in plain, stripes, checks and ikat, co-ordinated range of dupattas in different varieties and widths, dress materials and zari and thread border saris.Some varieties in the natural dyed range in the exhibition included khadi varieties in vegetable dyes, kuppadam material, saris and dupattas woven in mugha thread, Ponduru and Singupuram cotton, a special range of indigo fabrics from yarn dyed in a traditional process, fabrics from Chennuru in Adilabad and Kalamkari prints on kora and other coloured fabrics.Dastkar Andhra Marketing Association (DAMA) is a non-profit organisation was created in 2001 as an initiative of Dastkar Andhra. It works to promote cotton handloom weaving across Andhra Pradesh. DAMA mainly aims at creating a strong business revenue model that attempts to break the negative perceptions of the handloom industry like it being a declining industry, its subsidised rates and the myth of using outdated technology.Contac: 040-66311577
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