'65 per cent of fabrics in India manufactured by powerlooms'

Fabric mela brings manufacturers, customers face-to-face

In order to bring textile manufacturers closer to customers, the Regional Office of the Textile Commissioner, Bengaluru, under the Union Ministry of Textiles has organised a three-day ‘Fabric Buyers Seller Meet-cum-Powerloom Products Mela’ at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry in the city from Friday.

After inaugurating the mela, Mayor B L Bhyrappa said the expo was a boon for manufacturers and customers. “Such expos should be organised often to avoid middlemen and also to promote the textile industry. Similar expo should be organised to sell all products, including agriculture produce, to check middlemen,” he added.

Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Administration Committee member T V Maruthi said, such meets will provide marketing opportunities for powerloom product manufacturers.

“At the same time, buyers get the product at affordable prices. The customers should purchase the fabric in large quantities, since the products are of superior quality and are directly from the manufacturers,” he added.

Assistant Director, Regional Office of the Textile Commissioner, Bengaluru, Gaurav Gupta said with superior quality, Mysore Silk sarees were a tradition across the country and there was a need for development of the powerloom industry in Mysuru. “Nearly, 65% of fabrics in India is manufactured by powerlooms,” he added.

Hebbal Powerloom Development Weavers Association president R Ashwathanar- ayana said the market was affected due to middlemen and such melas would avoid brokers and thus buyers and producers would be benefitted.

A shopkeeper from Tamil Nadu said the products in the expo were affordable. “Compared to retail shops, prices are 30 per cent less,” he pointed out.

Manufacturers from across the country have set-up 25 shops in the expo. Products like silk and cotton sarees, dress materials, bedsheets, napkins and others products are on display.