Amid pandemic, handlooms ride e-commerce wave
he overall growth online sales of handloom shot up by 300% with demand from overseas accounting for over 50%
Hyderabad: The Covid-19 pandemic may have had an adverse impact on most businesses but it also triggered significant growth in online sales in some sectors such as handloom products. The overall growth online sales of handloom shot up by 300 per cent with demand from overseas accounting for over 50 per cent.
Devireddy Siva, founder, GoCoop, one of the exclusive e-commerce platforms for handloom products says his company was hitting sales of about Rs 2 crore a month or about Rs 25 crore annually. “The platform is now working with more than 350 cooperatives and master weavers across the country. In all, it impacts about 30,000 weavers. People are finding it difficult to go to physical stores due to the Covid fear. However, the fall in sales has been arrested by the rising e-commerce sales,” he told Telangana Today in a chat about market trends in the past couple of years.
The key domestic markets include Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata. In addition, there is new demand coming in from Tier 2 and 3 cities. The US, UK, Australia, Singapore, and UAE are the key markets internationally. The transaction size for international purchases is about Rs 15,000 and the domestic order size is Rs 6,000, he said.
Focus on Telangana
“We recently started one project in Narayanpet, one of the more backward districts in Telangana. We set up a capacity-building centre there for the weavers. We are working with three master weavers,” Siva said.
Design support
“At Narayanpet, we are working to give new designs, training, and digital enablement. We are focusing on nurturing entrepreneurship. Weavers must understand the way business is done and not just be content with some sales. Our approach is to nurture weavers into entrepreneurs as well. We will assist them with a business plan, product design development and having and maintaining a presence in the e-commerce segment. The module is for six months,” he said.
While GiCoop has already started working with Pochampally and Warangal weavers, it will also start similar programmes in Jangaon and Siddipet.
“The pandemic has brought a change in social perspective – many are learning to support others. As a result, people are buying handlooms to express solidarity with weavers. Sales get tough in price-sensitive markets but we are working to increase awareness in such segments. Fortunately, the younger generation is taking a liking towards handloom products. Online and entrepreneurship are key for the future and that holds good for handlooms too,” said Siva.
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