• The Telangana government is committed to promoting the handloom and power-loom sectors, both of which are integral to the state’s rich craft heritage and cultural identity. The state’s handloom textiles, including iconic crafts like Pochampally Ikat, Gadwal Cotton, and Silk Sarees, are known for their ethnic designs and patterns that reflect the exemplary skills of the state’s weavers.

Handloom Weavers:

• Telangana has around 35,926 handloom weavers, including ancillary workers.
• These weavers are known for producing textiles like Pochampally Ikat, Gadwal Cotton, Silk & Sico sarees, Narayanpet Cotton and Silk Sarees, Warangal Durries, Karimnagar bed sheets & furnishings, and Gollabhama sarees of Dubbaka.

Power-looms:

• There are 43,455 power-looms in the state, organized under 527 Weavers Cooperative Societies.
• These include 259 cotton, 40 silk, and 35 wool societies, alongside 78 power-loom and 115 garments/tailors societies.
• Government Initiatives for the Development of the Handloom and Power-loom Sectors:

Adoption of New Technologies:

• The Telangana government is focused on integrating new technologies into the handloom sector to enhance production, marketing, and overall benefits for weavers.
• This approach aims to increase efficiency, improve product quality, and expand market reach, benefiting individual weavers and the sector as a whole.

Geo-Tagging of Looms:

• The state government has implemented geo-tagging of looms, assigning each loom a unique digital code.
• This initiative ensures that welfare schemes and direct benefits are transparently delivered to genuine weavers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• As of the latest update, 22,529 handlooms and 43,455 power-looms have been geo-tagged in Telangana.

T-Nethanna App:

• The T-Nethanna App is a significant digital tool designed to support power-loom unit owners and workers.
• The app helps in understanding and addressing the challenges faced by the handloom and power-loom communities.
• As of June 2024, the app has been accessed by 20,612 weavers, 16,698 workers, and 32 master weavers under the handloom category, as well as 4,361 aasami, 931 power-loom weavers, and 6,265 ancillary workers under the power-loom category for various purposes.