Dhapewada handloom project targets jobs for 5,000 women

A handloom initiative in Dhapewada, near Nagpur, aims to create employment for 5,000 women while preserving weaving skills associated with the local Halba Adivasi community, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini inaugurated the building of Dhapewada Textile Udyog Producer Company Limited, a private entity, on Saturday, October 17.

The Economic Times reported that Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh also attended the inauguration in Gadkari’s native village. Gadkari, who has adopted Dhapewada, outlined plans to widen the market for its textiles through exports and the use of artificial intelligence.

Training first, with employment expansion the goal

Gadkari said the initiative began with training programmes for women in 2021. Demand was uncertain in the early stages, he said, but interest in the products grew as their quality improved.

The target of employing 5,000 women is an ambition for the project’s future, not a reported count of existing workers. Its stated focus is to turn traditional weaving skills into sustained livelihood opportunities for local women and their families.

According to a press release cited in the report, the Dhapewada unit produces tussar silk, silk-cotton and cotton sarees. Training and employment for local women are central to its activities.

Sarees seek wider markets

The export plans would take the initiative beyond local buyers. Gadkari also referred to adopting artificial intelligence, although the report did not specify how the technology would be used or identify export destinations.

A fashion show at the inauguration presented sarees from different regions. Hema Malini praised Gadkari’s initiatives and said the event was giving textiles from across the country greater visibility.

Vidarbha expansion and an income projection

Gadkari said similar projects had been launched in Gadchiroli and Washim districts to increase production. A further project is planned in Khapa, in Nagpur district, extending the proposed network within Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.

Singh highlighted the textile sector’s capacity to generate employment and expressed confidence in the Dhapewada initiative. He said weaving families could potentially earn nearly Rs 30,000 a month throughout the year through the project.

That figure represents Singh’s assessment of possible earnings, rather than documented income already being received by participating families.