The government reiterated that it is taking significant steps to keep Kerala’s traditional handloom sector abreast of the times through innovation, quality assurance and modernisation.
Published Aug 20, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 20, 2025 | 9:00 AM
A Loom. (Kerala Handloom)
Synopsis: This Onam, the looms in Kerala that once symbolised prosperity are now grappling with mounting debts, falling sales, and fading relevance. Weavers fear that the festival that once guaranteed them work may no longer secure their future. While officials argue that fresh initiatives are meant to create awareness and build capacity, union leaders allege that lakhs are being poured into activities with little direct benefit to weavers.
The Malayalam New Year dawned on 17 August with the arrival of Chingam, the first month in the Kollavarsham calendar, setting the stage for Onam — Kerala’s biggest cultural celebration.
At the heart of the festivities is ‘Onakkodi‘, the new attire that every Malayali proudly wears, cutting across caste, creed, and faith.
For generations, this tradition kept the handloom sector alive, its threads spun mostly by women who carried forward a legacy of skill and culture.
However, this Onam, the looms that once symbolised prosperity tell a different story: Of mounting debts, falling sales, and fading relevance.
Weavers fear that the festival that once guaranteed them work may no longer secure their future.
A loom. (Kerala Handloom)
The handloom industry is one of Kerala’s oldest traditional sectors, with its presence concentrated in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, and also spread across Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kollam, and Kasaragod.
The sector is dominated by co-operatives, which operate 84 percent of the looms, while the remaining 16 percent are run by private entrepreneurs.
Major products include dhotis, sarees, lungis, shirting, furnishing materials, and bed sheets.
In 2023-24, the sector recorded a production value of ₹257.30 crore and a sales turnover of ₹260.41 crore.
It employed 14,642 weavers, of which women formed a significant 78 percent (11,364 workers), generating 15.31 lakh person-days of employment.
The sector’s development is steered by institutions such as the Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles, Kerala State Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society (HANTEX), Kerala State Handloom Development Corporation (Hanveev), and the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT), Kannur.
HANTEX serves as the apex marketing body for 405 handloom societies and supports over 10,000 weavers. Whereas Hanveev employs 1,950 weavers and operates 36 showrooms and 32 production centres, while also promoting products at national and international exhibitions.
Kerala’s handloom sector also has 1,745 power looms, of which 40 percent are in the co-operative segment.
Among the 527 registered Primary Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Societies, only 336 remain operational, with many factory-type societies facing losses in recent years.
Despite challenges, the sector continues to sustain livelihoods while preserving Kerala’s rich weaving tradition.
The threads. (Kerala Handloom)
Once the pride of Kerala’s handloom tradition, the HANTEX is now battling one of its toughest phases.
A government document itself says, with 405 primary societies and over 10,000 weavers depending on it, Hantex has been crippled by the double blow of floods and the Covid pandemic, leaving thousands of artisans unemployed and its turnover sharply declining.
The society’s outstanding dues to primary cooperatives have piled up to ₹29.76 crore as of 31 March 2025, while separate arrears towards 311 cooperatives stand at over ₹25.56 crore.
In a bid to ease the crisis, Hantex has rolled out a revitalisation project, prioritising ₹13.34 crore in payments to cooperatives and ₹1.66 crore to retired employees.
However, deeper challenges persist: A shortage of raw materials, soaring yarn prices, fraudulent sale of powerloom fabrics in the name of handloom, and the burden of GST — all tightening the noose around the sector.
Kuthampully Saree.
The handloom sector in Kannur, once a proud symbol of Kerala’s weaving tradition, is now battling one of its most critical crises.
“Unemployment is huge, and survival itself has become difficult for many,” Kuduvan Padmanabhan, general secretary of the Chirakkal Handloom Cluster, told South First.
The only silver lining, he noted, has been the Handloom Uniform Project — an initiative that supplies handloom school uniform cloth to students of government and aided schools.
The project, implemented by the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles, brings together HANVEEV, HANTEX, and District Industries Centres as key players.
“But those engaged in the project are yet to be paid properly. Five months’ wages are pending, the government’s share is delayed, there is no provision for DA, and the minimum wage fixed in 2019 still remains unchanged,” Padmanabhan pointed out.
The sector faces massive dropout of workers, primarily due to a lack of continuous employment. At the same time, arrears are piling up, raw material prices are soaring, and cooperatives are struggling to stay afloat.
Amidst the gloom, weavers are pinning their hopes on the Onam season.
“Expos and exhibitions give us a chance to present our products directly to people. If the sales pick up, it could brighten the lives of hundreds of workers. Otherwise, their Onam will be spent in penury,” Padmanabhan added.
Kuthampully Sarees.
Even as Kerala’s handloom sector grapples with a deepening crisis, trade unions have begun questioning the government’s spending priorities under its revitalisation drive.
While officials argue that fresh initiatives are meant to create awareness and build capacity, union leaders allege that lakhs are being poured into activities with little direct benefit to weavers.
At the centre of the controversy is a proposal sanctioned by the state this July, allocating ₹14.05 lakh for conducting painting competitions for schoolchildren from Classes I to X at the district and state levels.
According to the Director of Handloom and Textiles, such events will help children and society at large gain a “view in respect of the handloom sector” and foster awareness about handloom products.
The director stressed in his 8 July letter to the government that advertising and promotion are “inevitable” for the upliftment of the ailing industry, hence the idea of engaging schoolchildren through creative platforms. However, trade union leaders remain unconvinced.
“The government is doing a lot to breathe life into this sector, but spending such huge sums in the name of training and promotion raises doubts,” a union leader told South First.
Their main concern is whether funds earmarked for survival and revival should be diverted to competitions with an indirect impact on weavers’ lives.
Adding to the debate, another proposal cleared by the government on 2 July sanctioned ₹11 lakh for a three-day training programme for secretaries of primary handloom weavers’ cooperative societies at the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Kannur.
The programme aims to equip management staff with practical skills, strategic knowledge, and market-driven approaches to enhance efficiency and expand reach in domestic and global markets.
While the government insists such initiatives are crucial for long-term sustainability, trade unions argue that immediate relief for struggling weavers should take precedence.
Meanwhile, the government reiterated that it is taking significant steps to keep Kerala’s traditional handloom sector abreast of the times through innovation, quality assurance and modernisation.
A saree from Balaramapuram Kaithari.
The introduction of the Kerala Handloom Mark serves as a hallmark of authenticity, certifying the quality of products in terms of raw materials, processing, design, and eco-friendly practices, thereby building consumer trust.
Several Kerala handloom products, including Cannanore home furnishings, Balaramapuram sarees, Kasaragod and Kuthampully sarees, and Chendamangalam dhoties and set mundu, have also received Geographical Indication (GI) status, highlighting their unique heritage.
To boost infrastructure, two major projects are underway: the Nadukani Printing and Dyeing Unit in Kannur and the Chendamangalam Kaithari Gramam in Ernakulam.
For value addition, a modern garments unit has been established, with HANTEX introducing brands such as Royal Mint and Commando for men, Kemi for women, and Junior Commando, Tara, and Vivo for children and newborns.
Innovative marketing has also been pursued, with Hanveev launching stylish packaging solutions like the Proud-e gift box and combo packs, alongside ready-made apparel.
To further promote the craft, government employees are encouraged to wear handloom cloths on Wednesdays.
In the academic sphere, the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Kannur, has introduced a BSc in Costume and Fashion Design, and played a pivotal role in design studios and the upcoming Integrated Handloom Village at Chendamangalam.
Moving forward, the Industries Department said, focus remains on branding, cluster formation, and securing more GI tags to strengthen market reach while attracting younger, sustainability-conscious consumers.
As Onam ushers in joy and colour, the looms of Kerala stand at a crossroads — caught between fading threads of survival and the promise of revival, waiting to see if tradition can be woven into a future of hope.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
