Khadi, handloom products find favour with young buyers in Tiruchi

Staff displaying Woraiyur cotton saris at the Woraiyur Devanga Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit:
File Picture NAHLA NAINAR

The demand for khadi and handloom textiles has shown a steady increase over the years as these sectors are coming up with products to attract a younger clientele, especially in Tier II cities such as Tiruchi, officials have said.

“Khadi relies on hand-spun yarn and the manufacturing process is labour-intensive. As such the products are costlier than handloom fabrics. Even so, those who appreciate sustainable clothing and the Khadi legacy in India, are very keen to buy clothes and home furnishings made by the traditional weavers, especially during the Pongal festival,” a senior official from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) told The Hindu on Tuesday.

KVIC, a statutory body under the administrative control of the central Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, recently organised a 10-day exhibition of textiles and village industry products in Tiruchi that drew a good response from the public.

Participating stalls managed to ring up sales of ₹1 crore, and also garnered a sizeable number of orders for the upcoming years, said the official. “There are 73 Khadi institutions functioning in Tamil Nadu. Khadi goods worth ₹228.64 crore were produced during the year 2024-2025,” he said.

Handloom products, woven using machine-spun yarn, have also seen a steady rise in demand in the past year.

According to official data, the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society (Co-optex) in Tiruchi produced 10,828 cotton saris worth ₹131.64 lakh up to December 2025, and will be manufacturing 14,100 cotton saris worth ₹175.96 lakh from April 2025 to March 2026.

“The past year has been quite positive for us. The Woraiyur cotton sari was granted a geographical indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in December, and in general, sales have received a boost during the year-end festival season. We are planning to create more innovative designs and eye-catching colour combinations to appeal to young wearers,” T. Ravikumar, Assistant Director of Handlooms, Tiruchi, said.