Hyderabad: GoCoop Livelihoods Foundation in association with Access Development Services, hosted ‘Weaving the Future – A Colloquium on the Handloom Sector, at Taj Deccan, Banjara Hills, on 11th March 2025. The event brought together policymakers, thought leaders, weavers, weaving organizations, and market players to discuss challenges facing the handloom sector and explore solutions to ensure that this age-old craft thrives in the global marketplace.Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for the Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (ITE&C) and Industries & Commerce Departments of the Telangana Government, gave the keynote address for the colloquium and shared his views on the role of technology in building a resilient future for handloom sector. The colloquium was joined by dignitaries like Mr. Gareth Wynn Owen, British Deputy High Commissioner; Dr MVSS Srinivas, DGM Nabard; Dr. M Shankara Prasad, Principal Advisor (MSME & SERP) Govt of AP; Ms. Poornima Busi, Deputy General Manager & Regional Head India Exim Bank, Hyderabad Regional Office; Mr. Nagaraja Prakasam, Lead angel investor, author & mentor. Distinguished speakers from government bodies, industry experts, designers, and artisan representatives spoke about the need for fair market access to improve artisan livelihoods, the importance of using technology and e-commerce to boost sales, making handloom products more appealing to modern consumers and fostering collaborations between key stakeholders to strengthen the sector.Hyderabad was chosen as the host city for the Handloom Colloquium due to its deep rooted connection in building Telangana’s handloom sector. The state is known for some of India’s most celebrated handloom traditions, including Pochampally Ikat, Gadwal, Narayanpet, as well as the renowned Warangal durries. The colloquium provided a platform to discuss how these rich traditions can be preserved, adapted, and scaled in today’s evolving market.Suvendu Rout, VP, Non Farm, ACCESS Development Services said, “We collaborated with GoCoop to organize the handloom colloquium ‘Weaving the Future’ in Hyderabad, this is the beginning of our partnership with the aim to bring many more such forums in different locations. We were very pleased to see active participation from so many weavers who came from remote clusters in Telangana some of them also being National award winners & Padmashri awardees. This brought in meaningful discussions between weavers, designers, industry experts and policy makers. We wish to work together on the key take-aways & contribute to the growth of the handloom sector.”Commenting on the colloquium, Siva Devireddy, Founder, GoCoop said, “At GoCoop, we have always believed in creating sustainable livelihoods for India’s artisans and weavers. Over the last several years, we have worked with and closely interacted with artisans from the remotest corners of India and we saw that the sector faces numerous challenges in today’s evolving landscape. Our aim with this colloquium was to bring key stakeholders of the sector under one roof to identify challenges, discuss the way-forward and create a movement to preserve and promote India’s handloom heritage, weaving a resilient future for the handloom sector.”The colloquium also featured a special handloom showcase with products from the Living Looms of India by Access Development Services and the good loom, a brand by GoCoop highlighting exquisite handloom creations from clusters across India. A special pavilion showcasing the work of Telangana’s talented weavers, celebrating their craftsmanship on a national stage was the key highlight at this handloom showcase.Following the colloquium, GoCoop is hosting the GoSwadeshi Exhibition at Kalinga Cultural Hall from March 12th to 16th, 2025. This event brings together over 45 artisan partners from across India, offering craft enthusiasts a chance to explore and purchase authentic handloom and craft products.
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