Venkatagiri (Andhra Pradesh), June 22 : TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday inaugurated the website www.weaversdirect.in, a non-profit venture which will provide a platform to introduce modern technology and designs to the weaving community.
The website will also help increase the weavers’ profit margins by reducing the role of middlemen and using e-commerce to extend their reach to many international buyers.
With the active support of four Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Santhi Narisetty from Los Angeles,
Madhavi Muthavarapu from Charlotte and Anuradha and Kalpana Gottipati from New Jersey, the website has been inaugurated by Lokesh at Venkatagiri, a town renowned globally for its silk sarees.
Inaugurating the website, Lokesh said “an initiative is underway to safeguard the centuries-old craft, particularly in Mangalagiri, in the heartland of Andhra Pradesh, and in Venkatagiri where the art of handloom weaving has flourished for centuries.”
He expressed hope that the initiative will certainly safeguard the centuries-old craft from fading into obscurity.
With the spread of powerloom technology, exploitation by middlemen and limited reach due to marketing constraints, handlooms have fallen in hard times, Lokesh added.
To increase the margins for the weavers, weavers direct has forged partnerships with multiple corporations, eliminating middlemen and guaranteeing fair prices, he said.
Direct sales to NRIs via their e-commerce portal, www.weaversdirect, have expanded the market reach, while nationwide and international product shows are planned to create greater visibility and demand for handloom products.
This website is a non-profit initiative dedicated for uplifting the lives of the handloom workers not only in Venkatagiri and Mangalagiri but also outside Andhra Pradesh, Lokesh observed.
If the project is a success, it will be implemented throughout the state, he said.
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