**Executive Summary**
This report outlines the Ministry of Textiles' measures to improve enumeration and social security for women in the textile sector, as presented to the Rajya Sabha on March 20, 2026. It highlights an all-India female Labour Force Participation Rate of 31.7% and details various schemes aimed at skill development, financial assistance, and infrastructure. Key initiatives include the implementation of the Code of Social Security 2020 and specific welfare programs like PM MITRA and SAMARTH.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Data and Enumeration**
* The overall female Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India stands at 31.7% based on PLFS data (2023-24).
* While various censuses exist (e.g., Fourth All India Handloom Census), no separate survey has been conducted specifically for home-based and piece-rate textile workers.
**Legal and Social Security Framework**
* Chapter IV of the Code of Social Security, 2020 (ESIC) applies to establishments with ten or more employees.
* The Code has been extended to provide benefits to unorganized workers, gig workers, and platform workers.
* Nationwide implementation of Four Labour Codes aims to enhance maternity benefits, occupational safety, and working hours for women.
**Industrial and Skill Development Schemes**
* **PM MITRA:** Development of mega textile parks featuring creches, women’s hostels, safe transport, and CCTV to facilitate formal-sector jobs.
* **SAMARTH:** A skill-upgrading program where 88% of the 5.3 lakh trained beneficiaries are women.
* **Silk Sector:** Focuses on reducing drudgery through women-friendly innovations like motorized reeling machines; women constitute 55-60% of the 97.3 lakh persons employed in sericulture.
**Support for the Handloom Sector**
* **Financial Assistance:** Provision of a 15% price subsidy on yarn, transport subsidies, and 100% subsidies for work shed construction.
* **Digital Tools:** The Handloom Weaver MUDRA Portal facilitates centralized online claim disbursements for interest subvention and credit guarantees.
* **Entrepreneurship:** The #Srijan initiative aims to nurture leadership among 1,000 women weavers; additionally, 30 women-led Producer Companies have been established.
**Impact Analysis**
**Women Textile Workers (Handloom, Silk, and Home-based)**
**Impact**
Workers benefit from enhanced social security coverage, improved physical safety at textile parks, and access to skill training that increases productivity. Financial subsidies and leadership programs like #Srijan promote entrepreneurship and economic independence.
**Action Required**
Eligible workers should register for the SAMARTH training program and utilize the Handloom Weaver MUDRA Portal for financial claims.
**Textile Establishments and Employers**
**Impact**
Establishments with ten or more employees are legally bound by the Code of Social Security, 2020. Those participating in PM MITRA must provide specific infrastructure like creches and modern OHS facilities.
**Action Required**
Employers must ensure compliance with the New Labour Codes regarding maternity benefits and occupational safety standards.
**Ministry of Textiles and Associated Agencies**
**Impact**
These bodies are responsible for the execution of subsidies, the development of women-friendly machinery, and the continued enumeration of the workforce.
**Action Required**
The Ministry must facilitate the #Srijan workshops and manage the disbursement of subsidies under the National Handloom Development Programme.
Key Entities Referenced
Code of Social Security, 2020: Legislative framework that provides ESI benefits and extends social security protections to unorganized, gig, and platform workers within the textile sector.
PM MITRA: A scheme for developing mega textile parks featuring integrated facilities like creches and hostels to support high female labor participation.
Samarth: A flagship skill development program for the textile sector where 88% of the successfully trained beneficiaries are women.
National Handloom Development Programme: An initiative providing 100% subsidies to women weavers for the construction of work sheds and supporting small cluster development.
Central Silk Board: The regulatory body that develops women-friendly technological innovations and motorized machinery to improve productivity in the sericulture industry.
Ministry of Textiles
ENUMERATION AND SOCIAL SECURITY
COVERAGE OF WOMEN ENGAGED IN HOME-
BASED TEXTILE WORK
Posted On: 27 MAR 2026 3:00PM by PIB Delhi
Government is conducting various censuses and surveys for various sectors including textiles like Fourth
All India Handloom Census, 2019-20, annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), Annual Survey of
Unincorporated Sector Enterprises etc. which provide estimate on various socio-economic indicators. As
per PLFS, female Labour Force Participation Rate is 31.7%, State/UT wise data attached below. The
specific survey to enumerate women engaged in home-based and piece-rate textile work has not been
conducted separately by the Ministry of Textiles.
The Chapter IV of the Code of Social Security, 2020 (ESIC) apply on every establishment in which ten or
more persons are employed other than a seasonal factory which provides coverage on ESI
benefits.Further, the Ministry has taken a comprehensive approach—combining industrial development,
cluster strengthening, skill upgrading, etc. to support textiles & traditional sector which includes
improvement in women’s participation and productivity. The focus has been on quality employment,
welfare, and market-linked empowerment –
1. PM MITRA - The mega textile parks are designed to support high female participation in
apparel and home textile units by developing creches, women’s hostels, skill centres, safe
transport, CCTV, security and modern OHS facilities. It will create lakhs of new, safe formal-
sector jobs for women
2. Samarth - Women form the majority of beneficiaries in SAMARTH skill programmes—
especially in garmenting, embroidery, knitwear, handicrafts, etc. Under Samarth scheme, 5.3
lakh beneficiaries have been successfully trained of which 88% beneficiaries are women.
3. Handloom Sector- Flagship scheme for Raw material supply to Handloom weavers (includes
women Handloom weavers); RMSS provides Transport subsidy (all types of yarns), 15%
Price Subsidy and depot operating expenses. Further, eligible beneficiaries cover women
handloom weavers by including individual weavers, Agencies in which weavers are members
i.e. Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) and Cooperative Societies,
Handloom Producer Company, Weavers Entrepreneurs.Additionally, some of the special
provisions provided are -
i. In partnership with Ministry of Textiles & Office of DC Handlooms, UN Women
launched #Srijan, a series of workshops to nurture leadership & entrepreneurship
among women artisans, set to reach 1,000 women weavers across India within a year,
1st workshop held at Varanasi on 18.10.2025
ii. Women weavers receive 100% subsidy for construction of work sheds under National
Handloom Development Programme. More than 73% beneficiaries under Small Cluster
Development Programme are women.iii. Handloom Weaver MUDRA Portal developed with Punjab National Bank for
centralized online claim disbursement, cutting down delays in financial assistance for
margin money, interest subvention, and credit guarantee fee
iv. Women Day slot at DilliHaat (1st-15th March 2026) and PanchLakhiya weaver didi slot
(16th-31st August 2025) organised.
v. 30 women-led Producer Companies and 15 women-led startups across the country.
vi. Kamladevi Chattopadhyay Award instituted since 2016 specifically for women
weavers, with 14 awards conferred so far.
4. Silk Sector -The sericulture industry provides employment to approximately 97.3 lakh persons, with 55-
60% being women. Central Silk Board has developed women-friendly innovations to reduce drudgery and
improve productivity viz., Automatic/motorised reeling and spinning machines with women-friendly
operations, financial assistance under central schemes and promotion of women SHGs etc.
A formal framework to extend protections was initiated with the nationwide implementation of the Four
Labour Codes. New Labour Codes aim to enhance welfare, maternity benefits, working hours,
occupational safety and participation of women workers across sector including textile sector, where
women form a substantial share of the workforce. Further, as per section 45 of the Code Social Security,
2020, the provision has also been made to extend benefits under the chapter IV of the ESIC to
unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers.
State/UT-wise female Labour Force Participation Rate, 2023-24 (in percent)
SL State/UT Female LFPR(%)
1 Andaman & Nicobar Islands 38.0
2 Andhra Pradesh 35.8
3 Arunachal Pradesh 49.9
4 Assam 36.8
5 Bihar 20.3
6 Chandigarh 25.0
7 Chhattisgarh 46.1
8 Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu 34.7
9 Delhi 14.5
10 Goa 22.9
11 Gujarat 35.812 Haryana 18.8
13 Himachal Pradesh 56.2
14 Jammu & Kashmir 38.8
15 Jharkhand 35.8
16 Karnataka 30.5
17 Kerala 33.4
18 Ladakh 43.7
19 Lakshadweep 13.0
20 Madhya Pradesh 39.4
21 Maharashtra 32.0
22 Manipur 36.3
23 Meghalaya 47.1
24 Mizoram 30.4
25 Nagaland 42.7
26 Odisha 38.0
27 Puducherry 28.9
28 Punjab 24.4
29 Rajasthan 38.0
30 Sikkim 56.9
31 Tamil Nadu 35.2
32 Telangana 36.5
33 Tripura 36.834 Uttarakhand 35.9
35 Uttar Pradesh 25.2
36 West Bengal 31.7
All India 31.7
Source: PLFS, MoSPI
This information was provided by THE MINISTER FOR TEXTILES SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH in a written
reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 20th March 2026.
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