Discuss how India's handloom sector can be leveraged as a strategic economic asset in the context of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Q. Discuss how India's handloom sector can be leveraged as a strategic economic asset in the context of Viksit Bharat 2047. (15 marks, 250-350 words)

The Fourth All India Handloom Census (2019-20) records about 35.2 lakh handloom workers, making handloom India's second-largest employer after agriculture [1][2]. In a world valuing sustainability, authenticity and resilient supply chains, this civilisational craft is not merely heritage to be preserved but a strategic asset for Viksit Bharat 2047.

Economic and employment leverage - Low-capital, high-labour: looms need minimal energy and investment, so every rupee invested generates more rural non-farm jobs than mechanised textiles. - Decentralised production across 31 States/UTs and 31.45 lakh households distributes growth without forced urban migration [1]. - De-risked supply chains: as global buyers diversify sourcing, small-batch, artisanal capacity becomes a niche export strength.

Women-led development - Women form 72.29% of handloom workers (25.46 lakh) [1], making the sector a natural vehicle for raising female workforce participation. - Support under the National Handloom Development Programme and Raw Material Supply Scheme — yarn subsidy, upgraded looms, worksheds, weavers' MUDRA credit and marketing aid — directly reaches these women [2].

Heritage as brand equity - Over 100 handloom products hold GI tags under the GI Act, 1999, with GI help desks at Weavers Service Centres and the Handloom Mark for authenticity [3]. - Digital repositories such as Bhartiya Vastra evam Shilpa Kosh archive designs, aiding premium branding and e-commerce reach [4].

Constraints to address - Yarn price volatility, powerloom imitation, thin margins and weak credit access keep weaver incomes low; census data itself is dated (2019-20) [1].

Handloom thus unites three Viksit Bharat goals — employment, women-led development and sustainable exports — in a single sector. The way forward lies in design-market linkages, cluster-based skilling of the next generation, strict enforcement of GI and Handloom Mark against imitation, and a fresh census for evidence-based targeting. Positioned so, the loom that powered Swadeshi in 1905 can help weave India's growth story of 2047.

(~320 words)

Sources: 1. PIB, "25,46,285 Women working in Handloom Sector of Textiles Industry" (4th All India Handloom Census 2019-20) — 35.22 lakh workers, 72.29% women, household and State coverage, census vintage 2. PIB, "Ministry of Textiles implementing National Handloom Development Programme and Raw Material Supply Scheme" — second-largest employer after agriculture; scheme components (raw material, looms, worksheds, MUDRA credit, marketing) 3. PIB, "Promotion of GI Tagged Indian Textiles" — 100+ GI-registered handloom products, GI help desks, Handloom Mark 4. PIB, "PM addresses National Handloom Day Celebration, launches Bhartiya Vastra evam Shilpa Kosh — A Craft Repository Portal of Textiles & Crafts" — digital craft repository for textiles and crafts