Framework for training and skill-enhancement with design

intervention & market trends for handloom weavers.

Dissertation - Internal jury

Submitted by
Shreya Kale (M.Des. 2021)

Faculty Guide
Dr. Sharmila Dua

National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

CONTENTS
1. Research brief and Objectives
2. Literature review
3. Research design & Methodology
4. Analysis
5. Design solution
6. Reflections
7. References
BRIEF
Indian handlooms hold a major chunk in the handwoven fabric in the world. It
employs about 45 lakh extremely talented artisans in weaving and allied activities.
The artisans belong to varied ethnicities, skill levels, social and economic status,
and thus qualifies as an 'equal opportunity employer' too.
This research is oriented to explore and ideate different approaches for the artisans
to grow and connect with fellow artisans, designers and the market.

OBJECTIVES
1. To study and review Design resource centre (DRC) in Weavers' service center -Mumbai.
2. To explore possibilities of developing DRC into an interactive space.
3. To develop a framework for workshops to be organized at DRC.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
1. Etymology of art, craft and design
2. Handloom & craft heritage of India
3. Government of India schemes & initiatives
4. NGO and private craft based enterprises
5. Heritage Conservation and Restoration - CSR
6. Sustainable development of craft clusters
RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODOLOGY
For the intended study, the first phase of research is exploratory and descriptive in
nature. It includes pilot visit to the field, museums and the cluster.

Field visit to understand the functioning of Weavers' service center and get a
clear idea about the activities, facilities. Interact with the key responsible
employees and facilitators of WSC Mumbai.

Dr. Bhau Daji Lad museum and CSMVS museum - to observe, understand &
interpret exhibited textiles from the collection and to gain some creative
inspiration.

Yeola Paithani weaving cluster - to experience the working environments of

weavers, to understand the process of manufacturing and get an overview of
market requirements

Paithani retail stores in Nashik and Mumbai (because of their proximity from
current location) to understand consumer buying behavior.
For the second phase of the study, online panel discussions of experts, webinars on
related topics conducted by IICD, ADI, Tata trusts, Dastkaari haat samiti, Industree
foundation, Museum of art & photography, etc. were attended.
Views of industry experts ranging from craft cluster, social enterprise development to
design & innovation including but not limited to Mr. Shantilal, Mr. Manish Kshtriya, Mr. Abdul
Gafoor Khatri, Ms. Laila Tyabji, Ms. Radhi Parekh, Dr. Annapurna Mamidipudi, Ms. Judy Frater,
Ms. Uzramma, Ms. Juhi Pandey, Mr. Neeraj, through online video resources, notes from visits
or through phone calls were gathered for comprehensive understanding of the system.

Short interviews of design students working in the clusters too added valuable perspectives.

Tools such as observation, in depth interviews and short discussions with responsible
officials to gather and analyse data, regarding the craft, system, consumer behaviour,
design & market trends, etc.
Methods to collect data and discover user interests also included literature review to
substantiate the insights from different types of stakeholders.

In addition to that, the artisan awareness workshop held in October 2020 provided newer
perspectives.
S N OI T S E U Q H C R A E S E R
How can the artisans be
empowered to adapt &
re-engineer their crafting How do we train the
process, to enable them younger generation of
manufacture market- artisans with creative
friendly products? entrepreneurship skills?

What additional support

do the artisans need to How can we motivate
reach out to the market the consumer to use
in efficient ways? hand crafted products?
ANALYSIS
Handloom and craft skills in India have been inherited over the
generations. A lot of permutations & combinations in the techniques,
material used, motifs, cultural shifts have been the reason of the current
shape and sustenance of the craft.

It not only employs a chunk of rural & semi-urban population in weaving

and allied activities, but also generates appreciable amount of foreign
exchange for the country, while preserving and amplifying our nation's
cultural identity.

The Handicraft sector has endured a lot due to constraints such as lack
of means of quality education, low capital, and poor exposure to new
technologies and absence of market intelligence.

Initially, this sector was classified under unorganized sector of economy.

However with the emergence of DC Handlooms and National
Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC), weavers and allied
workers have been benefitted through various initiatives & schemes. It is
assisted by 28 Weavers’ Service Centres (WSCs) located across the
country. 'Cotton spinning' 1820 - 1827 - painting illustrating the
activity - Dr. Bhau Daji Lad museum
Ref - Fibre to fashion: Role of Handicraft in Indian Economy - Ministry of Textiles
Yarn supply scheme (YSS) of Govt. of India , under which all
types of yarn is being supplied to the eligible handloom
weavers all over the country at the mill gate price.
India Handloom Brand (IHB) is an initiative for branding of
high quality handloom products with zero defects and zero
effect on the environment.
Dyers Training programs: To educate the weavers about
the latest dying techniques so that the marketability of there
product improved.
Buyers Sellers meet: to introduce the alternate Yarn supply
mills to the handloom weavers about the choice of Yarn and
to improve the availability of good quality yarn. It helps the
suppliers and buyers to interact each other directly.
Ref - NHDC Website - https://www.nhdc.org.in/Faq.aspx
Seminar on dissemination of various Govt schemes: To
disseminate the information about the various government
schemes for the handloom sectors.
Handloom Expo: To organize the exhibitions at the various
parts of the country to assist the marketing handloom
products.
Product development: NHDC undertakes several programs
on development of new products by using different kinds of
yarn for the betterments of products beyond traditional
lines.
Knowledge sharing visits: To enhance the knowledge of
weavers NHDC facilitates the visit of weavers in other
weaving clusters of the country.
Weavers’ service center
WSCs have been set up in following cities and are
responsible for conducting developmental activities by
NHDC in the clusters which lie under assigned regions:

North - New Delhi, Varanasi, Meerut, Srinagar, Chamoli,

Panipat, Jaipur

West - Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Raipur

East - Kolkata, Guwahati, Kohima, Agartala, Imphal,

Dimapur, Aizawl, Bhubaneshwar, Bhagalpur, Ranchi

South - Bengaluru, Chennai, Kanchipuram, Vijayawada,
Hyderabad, Kannur
Ref - DC Handloom website - www.handlooms.nic.in
In 1952, the All India Handloom Development Board was
formed for the growth of craft via design development
centres. Its primary objective was to excel as a pivotal
organization in the Handloom sector by serving as a National
Agency for its promotion and development.
Source - https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/charkha-
the-device-that-charged-india-s-freedom-movement/
Activities & facilities at
Weavers' service center
Design intervention
Innovation
Print design & development
Colour & fashion forecasts
Market trends
Design resource centres - Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur,
Varanasi, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar & Mumbai

Skill development
Design exhibitions
Dyeing workshops
Short term courses
Preserve, document & revive traditional skills and
designs

Ref - DC Handloom website - www.handlooms.nic.in, WSC Citizens charter

Role of WSC
Artisan encouragement & recognition
Identifies & recommends master weaver, printer, etc. making
outstanding handloom products
'Sant Kabir award' - presented by the President of India

Sales & marketing

Linkages with the Export promotion council, embassies,
cooperative societies and apex bodies
Organises exhibitions, seminars & workshops to bring the craft
towards the urban customer base

Ref - DC Handloom website - www.handlooms.nic.in, WSC Citizens charter

WSC Mumbai
In light of the COVID 19 outbreak, considering the restrictions on travel and safety
precautions, we decided to limit our research to Design resource center in WSC Mumbai,
as it was convenient to access during the period of research ie. from January 2021 to April
2021.
Weavers service center in Mumbai is responsible for the developmental activities
conducted by NHDC in the following clusters:

Considering the proximity from Nashik (city of residence during research), it was decided to
visit Yeola cluster in the later part, to study the overall system involved in the making of
Paithani saree.
Field visit - WSC Mumbai
In order to understand the functioning of Weavers' service center and get a clear idea about the
activities, facilities, a visit was planned on 5th and 6th Feb 2021. It was an opportunity to interact with
the key responsible employees and facilitators of WSC Mumbai.

WSC Mumbai houses a Design Resource Center, which acts as a museum,

exhibition and workshop space. With a purpose is to inspire & engage the
artisans, weavers and designers, the space displays a range of designs
developed on handlooms under WSC, under different themes such as flora &
fauna, traditional motifs, regional festivities, paintings, etc.

The Trend and Innovation board helps to know about upcoming market
trends, colour stories, fabric textures, embellishment techniques, etc.

A library dedicated to textile, craft, weaving & dyeing technologies enriches

the visitor with immense knowledge and references for further research. An
archival section accommodates dossiers of visual references regarding the
heritage of Indian Handlooms. It includes John Forbes Watson's collection of
Indian textiles as well. Notes from the visit to nearest WSC - DRC ie Mumbai.
Trend and Innovation board Exhibition & display space
Observation framework

ACTIVITY INTERACTION USER

ENVIRONMENT OBJECT
TEXTILE GALLERIES
Museum visit
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad museum and CSMVS museum was visited on 7th Feb 2021 planned to
observe, understand & interpret exhibited textiles from the collection and to gain some
creative inspiration.

Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum

The sartorial history of the Bombay Presidency from the
nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries is reflected through the
Museum's collection of textile pieces, prints and clay models.
The early curators of the Museum put together the collection to
showcase the raw products, decorative and industrial arts that
represented the life and culture of the Bombay Presidency. In
addition, several clay models were produced to display the 'Aurangzeb' painting depicting handloom wealth of the Deccan
communities, occupations, housing, lifestyles as well as dioramas
and three dimensional maps of the region.
Many of the clay models were modelled from ethnographic prints
and studio photographs published during the colonial period in
India. These were made with great attention to detail, capturing
attires, stances, work tools and processes of the artisans. This
exhibit puts together attires, cloth histories and some of the
textile processes, that give a visual insight into the exchanges
between artisans and consumers, reflecting on fashion, identities, Communities of the Bombay presidency - miniature models series (1900 - 1935)
trade and industry of the time.

In the 1790s, 80 million yards of Indian cotton cloth was exported to
Europe. It is estimated that in 1776, Dhaka had 80,000 spinners, and Surat
in 1795 had 15,000 looms in operation. The image shows a plate from the
Forbes Watson's collection of muslin manufacture processes in Dhaka.
Source - Processes in the Manufacture of Dacca Muslins (1866) by John
Forbes Watson https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/cotton-
manufacture-trade-and-textiles
Many of the clay models in the Museum's
collection were inspired by Company prints and
ethnographic documentation. Seen here is a plate
from Forbes Watson representing male attires in
cotton. Source - Male attire made from Cotton
and Silk (1866) by John Forbes Watson
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/textile
s-and-attires-19th-early-20th-century-bombay-
presidency
'Typical Pictures of Indian Natives' helped define a
genre of popular imagery that within a few years
would be globally disseminated in the form of
postcards (Pinney, 1997: 56). The hand coloured
photographs were accompanied by text describing
characteristics of each community.
Source - 'Brahmin Lady' painting
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/rare-
books-on-indian-textiles-and-clothing
CSMVS Museum

The Sari has been draped in many styles over the years. There are regional variations, as
well as drape styles that respond to occupational requirements. The most popular is to
have a set of folds at the front, and draping the end over the shoulder.
Apart from drapes, there are so many variations on the weave of the sari.

In this portrait, the woman is wearing a Chandrakala Sari.

It is a unique
piece of textile
made as a ten-
yard sari,
imaginatively
combining the
technique of ikat
work, jamdani
weaving as well
as brocading.
 The turban is said to have
belonged to Shahu Maharaj.
The heavily brocaded ends
of the turban have an
embroidered floral design.

In this chadar bow and arrow,

foot prints and conch associated
with Lord Rama are woven along
the borders alongwith his name
on the body.
Garo has become an identity for Parsi women. It is worn on special
occasions as well as at marriages. Appreciative of Chinese embroidery,
Parsi traders bought embroidered silks for their families and placed orders
for embroidered sari borders, saris, blouses and pantaloons.
The embroidery was worked on a variety of Chinese silks.
Over time, the word garo (from the Gujarati word for a sari) was associated
with the Chinese embroidered sari.
OBSERVATIONS

Observations about the experience and strategy of both

BDL & CSMVS museums are made on the key
parameters of Technology, interaction, accessibility,
services offered and revenue models.
PAITHANI CLUSTER - YEOLA
Historical background
The Paithani weave carries a heritage of more than 2000 years, with its glory
having spread across the seas. Paithan (Pratishthan) developed trade relations
with Greece and Rome in around the 1st century AD during the Satavahana reign.
During the 17th century the town ‘Yeola’ in Nashik district was established by
Raghuji Patil, who took along expert weaver families with him. He ensured that the
weavers not just received better civic facilities, but also handsome rewards in
return of their work. This resulted in sincere efforts by the artisans who further
developed the craft. Yeola now became a very well known name in the Indian
textile market.

Artisan community
Today, Yeola and a bunch of surrounding villages are home of around 3900
individuals belonging to the different artisanal communities run approximately
2300 looms.
PAITHANI - CRAFTING PROCESS
Silk yarn sourcing
Yarn dyeing & processing
Winding & warping
Design - conceptualization & plan
Weaving
Finishing
Packaging
Sale
Analysis of contemporary Paithani
SNOITAVRESBO & STHGISNI EVITATILAUQ
Defining the stakeholders
Any individual from the handloom
artisan community who wants to
enhance their aptitude with the
market pace and thereby
strengthen their forte.
Business which develop and launch Fashion & lifestyle product Students from art & design
a handloom collection or want to consumers / influencers whose institutes willing to collaborate with
add handloom into their portfolio of actions & choices are responsible artisans and consumers.
products or services. in running of the economy.
 Stakeholder personas - Artisans
Since the entire research is about holistic development of the ecosystem around
handloom and crafts; we need to explore a persona of artisans and weavers over a
length of potential, and across a varied depth of skills. Crafting an array of user
scenarios is essential to identify diverse needs.

Source: https://en.gaonconnection.com/ Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ Source: https://www.womenweave.org/ Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com


Nivrutti Pawar
Ghongadi weaver, shephard, folk poet
Pune, Maharashtra
USER SCENARIO 1
Nivrutti ji is from the last generation of artisans from the shephard community weaving
Ghongadi. Artisans in the community have almost stopped making Ghongadi owing to
the marginal profits earned as against the tremendous amount of efforts required in
making Ghongadi. His sons have turned to alternate ways of earning income and have
completely stopped the art of weaving. Today, the youngest artisan in the entire
community is in his late forties and the total count of these weavers is reducing
drastically.
They inherit pit looms for weaving this organic woolen blanket. Ghongadi can be used
throughout the year. These blankets woven on traditional pit looms last for about 25-
30 years since each thread is weaved extremely close to one another and with
precision.
The next generation of these artisans families are currently involved in manual labor
and other employment opportunities due to lack of economic dependence on making
Ghongadi. Even then, Nivrutti ji encourages and works with the younger generation of
artisans and families to reinvent the art of weaving and make them economically
independent. He says, "If the youth do not actively work in preserving this art, there is
a high possibility of Ghongadi and its process will be extinct."
There is a need make this task feasible and less cumbersome for the existing
artisans, to improve the traditional ways of Ghongadi weaving
Source: Ghongadi.com
 “Our family has been in this business for over 70 years,” says Raju, in a video call
from his weaving unit in Periyamolapalayam. "I never touched the loom, as my father
always wanted me to learn computers." He had a full time job in Hyderabad, however
in April 2020, he, with hundreds of others were forced to leave, as corporates down-
sized the workforce due to COVD 19 crisis.
He returned to his town, with a hope that he'd relook for better opportunities. But,
eventually he was fascinated by the computer-equivalent precision of the weavers in
the neighborhood that he decided to practice the craft.

Six months in it, he now wants develop software to explore the colour and design
possibilities of Jamakkalam carpets. The carpets are mostly made up of 5 traditional
colours - red, yellow, green, white and blue. Raju says that these are very 'old
P. S. Raju fashioned' colours. "If I could try different colours like they use in city showrooms, I
Bhavani Jamakkalam weaver, am sure powerlooms will face a tough competition of these handmade carpets."
Computer science graduate
Erode, Tamil Nadu His sister, Lakshmi, a home science student, has even experimented her own
products like handbags and wants to see if she can design table runners and sofa-
covers, as seen in her favourite daily soap serials.

USER SCENARIO 2

Source: https://lifestyle.livemint.com/
 Rupali Akka learnt weaving through workshops facilitated by rural youth training
programs. She took up weaving projects to financially secure her family and fund her
daughter's peducation. "I do not like to waste a single minute at work. I get paid for
the number of yardages I produce." She seldom requests for a day off.

She has been suffering from lower back and elbow pain. When asked about the
treatment, "I went to primary health care center once and took the prescribed
medication. But the pain rebounded after a week or so." "Now I cannot afford to spend
more time and resources for my treatment. I think with time, it will heal." She wants to
do something more, than just continue weaving Khunn for the rest of the life. Many
designers have developed their fabrics from the cluster. She too wants to create new
designs of her own some day.
Rupali Akka
Khunn weaver, single mother Other members in the family help with household chores. Rupali Akka attended
Solapur, Maharashtra school till the 7th class and excelled at art & craft. "I want my daughter to follow her
dream. If she wants to work here in village or go to America, she has all my support
and blessings.

USER SCENARIO 3
KEY AREAS OF INTERVENTION

Training young members Design software Ergonomic design

Re-design process Dyeing & processing Market awareness
Economic sustenance Product diversification Design education
STAKEHOLDER PERSONA
CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS / BRANDS

WGBL is a well established textile giant operating from Mumbai. Its products are
sold at a premium price point in domestic market. Apart from that, it exports a range
of products to South East Asia and Australia markets.

Recently, they have been getting enquiries about sustainable, organic cotton
products and handloom fabric designs to be incorporated in their product lines, due
to the rising awareness among the conumers about ESG.

Owing to this, WGBL is in search of various hand crafted fabrics made in the
W G B L clusters nearby. WGBL cannot part way from consistency in the quality of products.
KEY AREAS OF INTERVENTION

RESEARCH
X X CRAFT SPECIFICS
CRAFT INTEGRATION
W G B L

CORPORATE CLUSTER CRAFT

STAKEHOLDER PERSONA
FASHION CONSUMER / INFLUENCER

Apart from her 9 to 5 job, Jasmine runs her own travel & fashion blog.
She loves to make videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, where she
has 50k followers, mostly GenY and GenZ.

She has produced DIY styling content and aspires to solve 'fashion
related issues' of her audience.

She has experimented styling with ethnic wear. She feels that wearing
saree to office is way too cool.
KEY AREAS OF INTERVENTION

CRAFT FLEXIBILITY
X X OPPORTUNITIES
MARKET REACH

CONSUMER CRAFT WEAVER

Interactive spaces
Competitor analysis / analogous inspiration

Kala Raksha Vidyalay

Women Weave, Handloom Maker's Asylum
school MasterChef India
Vimor Foundation TEDx
Srujan Artisans'
Khamir DirectCreate
Industree foundation
Shantiniketan
CSMVS Museum
Service / Framework blueprint
From the themes pulled-out from
user scenarios, a framework is created to
deliver and address different areas of
concerns of weavers. These will help to
formulate solutions as per the needs.

Workshop for Young artisans

Training young artisans is identified as
the core area of intervention from all
the analysed details.
Intent / Topic

Method

Expert 1

Expert 2

Mode
Workshop for craft techniques preservation
Preserving techniques is another area to intervene, as a number of indigenous techniques in
weaving, dyeing, surface embellishments are near extinction. It will also act a a method to
explore craft flexibility and integration with consumer products.

Intent / Topic

Method Workshop, practical , Interactive session

Participants Students, artisans, entrepreneurs / brands / corporates

Health & wellness
Along with enabling the artisans with different tools & techniques, it is also essential to
ensure that they practice basic self-care and wellness, which in turn will lead to a healthy
mind & body. Artisans face various occupational diseases and hazards. This workshop will
be beneficial to minimize work related risks.

Intent / Topic Simple steps of well being

Method Interactive session

Participants Medical professionals, artisans

Possibilities and ideas to explore further

Work in depth on the ideations, possibly with inputs from artisans.

Bring in innovative approaches for hybrid method workshops.