**Executive Summary:**
This document contains the response of the Minister of Textiles to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 234, concerning the employment status in the textile and handloom sectors. It outlines the current employment numbers, initiatives to generate jobs, average monthly wages, and social security measures for textile workers, as of August 5, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Employment Status:**
* The textile industry, including the handloom sector, directly employs approximately 45 million people in India.
* **Job Creation Initiatives:**
* The government is implementing schemes and programs to generate employment, including:
* SAMARTH Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textiles Sector
* National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP)
* National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP)
* National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM)
* PM Mega Integrated Textiles and Apparel Park (PMMITRA) scheme
* Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme
* **Average Monthly Wage:**
* The average monthly wage in the textile sector is Rs. 13,948, according to the Annual Survey of Industry 2022-23, but this varies based on location, sector, competency, and work status.
* **Social Security Measures:**
* The Government of India provides welfare schemes for textile workers to enhance social security benefits.
* **Handloom Workers:**
* Financial support through concessional loans, margin money assistance, and credit guarantee fee support.
* Insurance coverage.
* Financial support to Awardee Weavers/Workers above 60 years with annual income below Rs. 1.00 lakh in indigent circumstances.
* **Handicraft Workers:**
* Support to artisans in indigent circumstances.
* Interest Subvention/Margin Money for credit facility.
* Aadhaar-based photo ID cards for availing scheme benefits.
* Insurance coverage.
* Awareness Camps/Chaupal Shivirs.
* **Jute Workers:**
* National Jute Board provides assistance to Jute Mills for improved working conditions.
* Educational support/scholarships for girl children of jute mill and MSME Jute Diversified Product unit workers.
* Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) provides social security benefits (medical, sickness, etc.) to workers in factories/establishments with 10+ employees in notified districts earning up to Rs. 21,000/month (Rs. 25,000 for persons with disability).
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Textile Workers:**
* *Impact:* Benefit from social security measures, potential wage increases through government initiatives, and improved working conditions.
* *Action Required:* Avail themselves of the social security schemes and programs, improve skills to increase earning potential.
* **Handloom Weavers/Workers:**
* *Impact:* Access to financial assistance, insurance cover, and support in indigent circumstances.
* *Action Required:* Apply for available schemes, obtain necessary documentation (e.g., Aadhaar card) to avail benefits.
* **Handicraft Artisans:**
* *Impact:* Access to financial aid, credit facilities, insurance, and awareness programs.
* *Action Required:* Obtain Aadhaar-based ID cards, participate in awareness camps, and apply for relevant schemes.
* **Jute Mill Workers:**
* *Impact:* Improved working conditions, educational support for their children, and social security benefits through ESIC.
* *Action Required:* Ensure factories comply with regulations, apply for educational scholarships for eligible children, and understand ESIC benefits.
* **Textile Industry Employers:**
* *Impact:* Potential need to comply with regulations related to worker welfare, and opportunities to participate in government schemes to improve productivity and employment.
* *Action Required:* Implement measures to improve working conditions, facilitate worker access to social security schemes, and explore participation in government initiatives.
Key Entities Referenced
SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R: Member of Lok Sabha who raised the starred question regarding the employment status in the textile sector.
Minister of TEXTILES SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH: The Minister of Textiles responsible for answering the question in Lok Sabha.
Textile and Handloom sectors: Sectors of the Indian economy that are the subject of the question regarding employment status, job creation, wages, and social security.
SAMARTH Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textiles Sector: A government program aimed at skill development and capacity building in the textiles sector to generate employment.
National Handloom Development Programme NHDP: A government program focused on the development and welfare of the handloom sector.
National Handicrafts Development Programme NHDP: A government program focused on the development and welfare of the handicrafts sector.
National Technical Textiles Mission NTTM: A government initiative to promote the growth and development of the technical textiles sector.
PMMega Integrated Textiles and Apparel Park PMMITRA scheme: A scheme for establishing integrated textile parks to boost the textile industry.
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. *234
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2025
EMPLOYMENT STATUS IN TEXTILE SECTOR
*234. SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R:
Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री
be pleased to state :
(a) the current employment status in the textile and handloom sectors in the country;
(b) the initiatives taken/ being taken to generate more jobs in these sectors;
(c) the average monthly wage provided to the workers of these sectors; and
(d) the details of social security measures taken by the Government to protect the textile workers?
उत्तर
ANSWER
वस्त्र मंत्री (श्री गिररराज स हं )
MINISTER OF TEXTILES
(SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)
(a) to (d):- A statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED
QUESTION NO. 234* TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2025 ASKED BY SHRI
SACHITHANANTHAM R REGARDING “EMPLOYMENT STATUS IN TEXTILE SECTOR”.
(a): The textile industry is one of the largest sources of employment in the country, directly employing
around 45 million persons including Handloom sector.
(b): In order to generate employment opportunities in the textile sector Government is implementing
various schemes/programmes like SAMARTH (Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textiles Sector)
National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), National Handicrafts Development Programme
(NHDP), National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), PM-Mega Integrated Textiles and Apparel Park
(PM-MITRA) scheme, Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme and others.
(c): Average monthly income depends upon various factors such as location and sector of
employment/self-employment, level of competency acquired, part time or full time work etc. However, as
per Annual Survey of Industry 2022-23, the average monthly wage is Rs. 13,948 in the Textiles Sector.
(d): Government of India is implementing a number of schemes for welfare of textile workers across the
country to improve and enhance their social security benefits. Some of the interventions for social
security of textile workers include:
Interventions for Handloom Workers: The Handloom Weavers’ Welfare component under the
National Handloom Development Programme provides social security to the handloom weavers/workers.
Some of these measures include (i) Financial support through concessional loans, margin money
assistance, credit guarantee fee support etc. (ii) Insurance cover to handloom workers and (iii) Financial
Support in indigent circumstances to Awardee Weavers/ Workers above 60 years of age having annual
income below Rs.1.00 lakh.
Interventions for Handicraft Workers: Under the Direct Benefit to Artisans (Welfare) component of
National Handicraft Development Programme [NHDP], some of the welfare measures for handicraft
workers include (i) Support to artisans in indigent circumstances (ii) Interest Subvention & Margin
Money for credit facility (iii) Adhaar based photo identity cards to handicrafts artisans to avail the
benefits of the schemes of Central /State Governments (iv) Insurance cover to Handicrafts Artisans and
(v) Awareness Camp/ Chaupal/ Shivirs for benefit of handicraft workers.
Interventions for Jute Workers: National Jute Board provides assistance to the Jute Mills for
improvement of working conditions of Jute Mill workers. Educational Support/Scholarship is also being
provided to girl children of the workers of Jute Mills and Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
Jute Diversified Product units on passing out Secondary and Higher Secondary examinations.
Further, Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) provides social security like Medical Benefit,
Sickness etc. to the textile workers working in factories / establishments with 10 or more employees in
the implemented districts notified by the Central Government, and drawing wages up to ₹21,000/- per
month (₹ 25,000/- for persons with disability).
****