Kota Doria Weavers Pleading for New Designs!

Abstract

Apart from agriculture, India's handloom industry has existed for ages and is the country's largest cottage industry in terms of employment opportunities. Despite having a glorious past, this ancient craft is now known for its dire situation and for slowly fading into obscurity as the industry struggles to survive due to numerous issues. The main causes of this include a large number of substituted products, insufficient training for skill upgrades, an unorganized structure, low wages, the reluctance of the younger generation to choose weaving as a means of subsistence, a small domestic market, the lack of creative designs and color combinations, fierce competition from power looms, the fast-fashion industry, poor marketing, shifting consumer preferences, and the availability of alternative employment opportunities. However, the handloom industry can still be revitalized as evidenced by the tenacity that handloom weavers continue to display in terms of survival and capacity for innovation. In order to contribute to the sustainability of traditional craft heritage and ensure continuous transmission of craft skills and knowledge from generation to generation, the current investigation aims to explore, identify, and address issues faced by traditional craftsmanship. This study offers Kota Doria Cluster insights at Kaithoon, Kota in order to help us better understand the cluster's current situation and offers recommendations for future development.