New framework to promote e-marketing of handloom products
The government has brought in a new policy to promote the e-marketing of handloom products. The move is aimed at attracting young customers who prefer shopping online. The move comes days after the government announced initiatives like 'India Handloom' brand and the ‘National Handloom Day’ to encourage the weaving industry. As per the new policy, the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) under the Ministry of Textiles would collaborate with approved e-commerce companies to promote handloom products. Any e-commerce operator willing to promote handloom products in collaboration with the DC office can also apply for the same. A separate committee will look into the track record and turnover of the applicants, and based on their proposed handloom fabric producing areas through e-marketing and the proposed rollout plan, it will take appropriate action. The entire application process will take three weeks. “Once the application is approved, an e-commerce entity will be required to display its handloom products on its home page. Furthermore, the company will need to dedicate an exclusive section of its website for the handloom products carrying either 'India Handloom' brand or Handloom mark,” the Textile Ministry said in a statement. Promotions will be carried out by displaying the name and other information of the e-commerce company on the DC’s website. And the company details will be channelised to the consumers through the office’s Weavers Service Centres (WSC) and state governments. To support the weavers and entrepreneurs looking for online platform, the DC office will allot office space and IT infrastructure, common facility centres and handloom clusters. The DC office will also monitor the performance of e-commerce companies and their registration will be considered for extension depending on their performance.
August 22, 2015 | 5:08pm IST.