“A piece of cloth undergoes a colourful and inspiring journey before it adorns us. From a mere worm or even waste, to a thread, from a thread to a weave, absorbing the colours of nature and finally from loom to closet, the journey of the cloth is an exciting one.”
The Indian subcontinent is known globally for its age-old weaving industry. This industry also stands 2ndin place as the largest employment provider for the rural and semi urban population in India after agriculture. Contributing considerably to the export income of the country, the continuous presence of handloom sector is crucial. It also contributes about 15% of total cloth produced in the country.
The craftsmanship and skill of the artisans are unmatched, and this industry largely accounts for the country’s economy. With an estimated total of 2.3 million handlooms alone, the Indian weaving industry has the world’s largest infrastructure. According to the census report of 2009-2010, India has over 43 Lakh people engaged in weaving and allied activities, out of which 21.56 lakh people are from the North-eastern Region of India. 1.4 million Looms are found in the NER. Assam, incomparably hosts 13 lakh weavers.
Indian weavers and their work in the handloom sector across the country conform to distinguished features that display India’s history and culture alike.
Despite the domineering numbers, the brimming skills of artisans and global appreciation of the craft, the Indian handloom industry lies completely unorganized with hindered product and design development, negligible exploration into a wider range of products, lack of assured product quality and proper market linkages. A noticeably low growth rate of this household industry is leading to its waning off. Weavers, though highly skilled, mostly belong to rural areas; are from economically weaker backgrounds and are barely being able to sustain their livelihoods through weaving and its allied activities as their primary source of income.
Indian Weavers Alliance and its Construct
Being aware of the concern and subsequently realising the untapped potential of the skills of weavers, Indian Weavers Alliance, a start-up by a group of technocrats from Assam was founded collaboratively in 2017.
The foreground of establishment of Indian Weavers Alliance is based on the idea of “sustainability”, thoughtfully objectified by the IWA Team as follows:
i. Providing sustainable livelihoods to the weavers by giving them consistent employment
ii. Producing sustainable products (textiles/fabrics/apparels) for wearers who value natural products, their making processes and makers
iii. Progress towards sustainability and promote a sustainability centric environment/eco-system
To achieve these, IWA’s primary outlook is to create unceasing employment for these weavers for a total of 240 days of a year. The weavers are provided with required looms, hand and power looms alike and also hand and machine spun yarns. IWA also provides design assistance and does a complete production buy out from the weavers assuring their timely payments.
This not only ensures the consistent employment of weavers but lifts off the expense of buying yarns from them, guarantees a 100% buy-back from them and bridges their distance with the current market, thus, allowing weaving to transition from a part time or leisure activity bringing in a passive income to an regularly paying full-time occupation for them. This construct directly brings a change to their economic conditions and reflects on their lifestyle.
Assam being the home of exclusive types of Silk, namely, Muga and Eri , IWA is strategically located at Guwahati with alliance partners in Mumbai, Delhi and Chicago. We are successfully working with clusters of Weavers from ASSAM / BENGAL / BIHAR /RAJASTHAN / MADHYA PRADESH. We are the strategic alliance partners of the NGO GRAMIN SAHARA, who has approx. 200 weavers spread across the geographic location of CHAYGAON, Assam; we have strategic alliances with Artisans of Hand Block Printing from Jaipur and we are also alliance partners with weaver communities in Madhya Pradesh and Bhagalpur.
IWA affirms that in a globalized and open market economy the focus should be directed towards product development, quality control, design development for a versatile product-line and delivery assurance.
We work on a PRE-SOLD goods manufacturing process and do carry a complete range of sampling which are presented to the Buying Houses / Designers / Exporters / Large Format Home Shoppe ( Retailers ) etc in Delhi through Alliance Partner , Ashivi,s Inc ( Established Export House ) , Mumbai , through WorldlinK Exports ( Alliance Partner) & Chicago would be through Global Natural Resources ( Alliance Partner)
And for all of this to materialize, the usage of both handlooms and power-looms are relevant as each type add on indisputable values. On one hand, handloom products are one of a kind and exclusive, made intricately over a prolonged period, while on the other hand, the power looms alleviate the efficacy for bulk generation according to Market demands. IWA thus endorses the inclusiveness of both handlooms and power-looms for its operation.
Indian Weavers Alliance and You (Our Social, Economic & Environmental Responsibility)
The production of textiles and apparels in present scenario are rigorous. There is constant supply to an unending demand. A recent survey projected that 68% of the Indian population go clothes shopping every month. Today, nearly 88% of the clothing purchased by people, mostly in the 20-30-year-old age group, comprise of upper wear, tops/shirts. The rate of waste generation from post-consumer apparel therefore is high within a short time. This was not quite the scenario few decades ago when most of the clothing Indians purchased was remade/repaired, recycled and reused over a number of times.
One of the major reasons behind this is the fact that globalisation and its impacts are impending. And in this age of millennials where there are rapidly changing clothing trends or fast fashion the market is constantly run by it. This uber rapid industry also utilizes non-renewable natural resources greatly thereby becoming the world’s second most polluting industry.
We therefore draw your attention to these and propel you to question!
Who makes my clothes? What am I wearing? Am I responsible while being fashionable?
Do we “know” about the journey of our apparels, of how it has been born and dealt with and made to be taken up the identity of its present state? When we buy clothes, do we ever know if we’re contributing directly towards the maker of most of our apparels?
We at IWA,
- Know, that in the towering presence of corporates in the market that mass produces apparels of various kinds, the household industries operating on a small scale grow faint and gets unnoticed. These small-scale artisans deserve growth, appreciation and credit.
- Understand that waste generation from fast fashion needs to be curbed and controlled. By producing clothes that has a long product life and also by innovative and efficient ways of recycling and reuse, this can still be achieved.
- Choose, not to ignore the rampant environmental issues of the current day and urge you to oppose fast fashion and contribute thoughtfully towards re-generating the degenerated environment.
So, when you are the buyer of an IWA product,
i. You ensure your contribution towards the maker of your product, thereby contributing to the betterment his livelihood, his enhanced quality of life.
ii. You wear a natural product made out of natural fibre; a product that is undoubtedly comfortable on your skin and has zero health hazards.
iii. You wear a product that is timeless; a product has a longer life-span, so you can wear and repeat for long, thereby opposing fast fashion and reducing the amount of waste generation and environmental hazards.
And all of this collectively would contribute to the building of a sustainability-centric eco system.
IWA guarantees it is possible to change/empower lives by building the right connect. We are, therefore, “Interlacing Weavers and You.”
IWA also assures it is possible to be responsible for the environment wholly and yet be fashionable. We say, “Be Responsibly Fashionable!”
VISION:
· Transformation of Leisure Activity to Main Stream Livelihood which will have major impact on the lifestyle of the Artisans and their families, thus a step towards rural development through weaving.
· Cost Effective product lines according to market demand.
· To create a Destination in Assam where the entire journey from rearing of silk, its cultivation and production to the final product can be witnessed in one place. With these objectives we also envision to create a destination for textile tourism in Assam. Thereby opening different employment opportunities for local youths through this project.
THE WORKING SYSTEM OF THE PROJECT MODEL:
· 240 days /annum work after 18months of factory operation
· Systematic work module
· Technical Experts
· Design & Product Development Expertise
· Yarn Supply
· Weaver’s payments on time
· Reporting to Quality Monitoring Team
RETAILVERTICAL
With the launch of our first Studio Outlet in Guwahati, at LAMB ROAD and our “Project IWA”at Mirza & Dhirenpara our focus is to generate bulk business in India and across the globe for 100% natural fibre-based products and more because we root for sustainability even in our products and are wholly centred on sustainable approach. In coming 3 years,by END 2021 we would intend to have in our bouquet at least 5 B2B stores across the country which would host “HANDLOOM FABRICS, LEATHER & FABRIC FUSION HAND BAGS, SOFT GOODS , HOME DECOR , BED LINEN & EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION OF INDIAN ETHNIC READYTO WEAR. Also special focus would be promoting Women Entrepreneur to getting into the business.
PROJECTED CUSTOMER BASE
State emporiums, Exporters, Retailers, Museums, Boutiques,Fashion designers, Ministerial gifts, Whole sellers, Importers, Institutional gifting and corporate gifting all across the world.
VISION
To become the most respected company of the North-East India, & to be the largest revenue generating, profit centre of Handloom Home Decor.
MISSION
We aspire to become the most respected & fair trade manufacturing company into the sector of Handloom Hands Bags & Fashion Accessories & Home Decor, & there by being instrumental for significant socio-economic impact.
VALUES
Authenticity: To remain true to our products and true to our customer.
Transparency: We are accessible, ready to discuss our efficacy and drawback in same Breath.
Innovative: Let our product speaks of newness, giving different look to natural and traditional staff with contemporary sensibility is a challenge even for us.
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