• Ms. V. SWATHI

The Indian textile industry is in the process of responding to the changes in the global economy and has started utilising its strengths to build up an international status. Today, India is the second largest producer of textiles in the world, next to China. A hand loom is a simple machine used for weaving. In a wooden vertical-shaft looms, the heddles are fixed in place in the shaft. This loom is powered by hand. The warp threads pass alternately through a heddle, and through a space between the heddles (the shed), so that raising the shaft raises half the threads (those passing through the heddles), and lowering the shaft lowers the same threads—the threads passing through the spaces between the heddles remain in place. It is a manual operating system. . Shedding is done by pressing the treadles pedal and picking and beating is done manually. Hand looms yield less production compared to power loom. It can be operated at slow speed only compared to high speed of power looms. Initial investment is very low compared to power loom. Tamil Nadu occupies a prominent place in textile production and the handloom products of this state are quite famous all over India and even abroad. Handlooms provide employment to around 10 lakh persons through weaving and allied trade activities. In Tamil Nadu the handloom centres produce pure cotton goods. The Textile industry in India can be classified into two categories namely the organised sector which includes the composite textile mills and the decentralised sector comprising of handlooms. Handloom weaving constitutes one of the most vibrant aspects of the rich cultural heritage of India. Indian handloom industry has an identity of its own. It’s unique in terms of production of quality goods with artistic touch which cannot be matched by power looms or mills. The handloom industry occupies a distinct place in the Indian Economy. It is the largest generator of rural employment in India. It is dispersed, spread across thousands of villages and towns in the country. The handloom sector accounts for 14.6% of the total cloth produced in India. The handloom industry contributes substantially towards the export earnings of our country.

Textile, handloom, development etc.,

"A STUDY ON VARIOUS DESIGN DEVELOPMENTS ON HANDLOOM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no.603-611, December-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812387.pdf

"A STUDY ON VARIOUS DESIGN DEVELOPMENTS ON HANDLOOM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no. pp603-611, December-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812387.pdf