**Policy Summary: Welfare Schemes for Women Handloom Weavers in India**
The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, is implementing central sector schemes, namely the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) and the Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS), to support handlooms and the welfare of handloom weavers, including women, across the country. These schemes provide financial assistance to eligible handloom agencies/weavers for various purposes, including:
* Raw materials
* Procurement of upgraded looms and accessories
* Solar lighting units
* Construction of worksheds
* SAMARTH training for skill development and capacity building
* Product design development
* Technical and common infrastructure
* Marketing of handloom products in domestic and overseas markets
* Loans under the Weavers MUDRA Scheme
* Social security
* Need-based financial support to awardee weavers
* Scholarships to handloom workers' children
While there isn't a separate provision specifically for women handloom weavers under these schemes, a 100% subsidy is provided to women handloom weavers for the construction of worksheds under NHDP.
The SAMARTH scheme has skilled a total of 14,177 women handloom weavers across various states from FY 2022-23 to 2024-25. The state-wise breakdown of women weavers skilled under SAMARTH is as follows: Andhra Pradesh (425), Arunachal Pradesh (328), Assam (1,327), Bihar (431), Chhattisgarh (353), Gujarat (379), Haryana (197), Himachal Pradesh (451), Jammu and Kashmir (361), Jharkhand (567), Karnataka (474), Kerala (1,056), Madhya Pradesh (393), Maharashtra (1,027), Manipur (579), Meghalaya (133), Mizoram (498), Nagaland (396), Odisha (727), Punjab (98), Rajasthan (331), Tamil Nadu (1,027), Telangana (697), Tripura (475), Uttar Pradesh (727), Uttarakhand (269), and West Bengal (451).
This information was provided by the Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Pabitra Margherita, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on August 8, 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Textiles: The Indian government ministry responsible for the formulation of policy and coordination of the textile industry.
National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP): A central sector scheme implemented by the Ministry of Textiles to promote handlooms and the welfare of handloom weavers.
Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS): A central sector scheme implemented by the Ministry of Textiles to promote handlooms and the welfare of handloom weavers by ensuring raw material supply.
SAMARTH: A scheme aimed at skill development and capacity building of handloom weavers.
MUDRA Scheme: A scheme that provides loans to weavers to promote entrepreneurship.
SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA: The MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES who provided the information in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha: The Upper House of the Parliament of India, where a question regarding the welfare of women handloom weavers was raised.
Andhra Pradesh: One of the states in India where women handloom weavers were skilled under the SAMARTH scheme.
Ministry of Textiles
SCHEMES FOR THE WELFARE OF WOMEN
HANDLOOM WEAVERS
Posted On: 08 AUG 2025 2:35PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Textiles, Government of India is implementing central sector schemes such as (i) National
Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) and (ii) Raw Material Supply Scheme (RMSS) to promote
handlooms and for welfare of handloom weavers across the country including women weavers. Under these
schemes, financial assistance is provided to eligible handloom agencies/weavers for raw materials,
procurement of upgraded looms & accessories, solar lighting units, construction of workshed, SAMARTH
training for skill development and capacity building, product & design development, technical and common
infrastructure, marketing of handloom products in domestic/overseas markets for promotion of
entrepreneurship, loans under weavers MUDRA Scheme, social security, need based financial support to
awardee weavers, scholarship to handloom workers’ children etc. There is no separate provision for women
handloom weavers under these schemes. However, 100% subsidy is provided to women handloom weavers
for construction of worksheds under NHDP. State-wise detail of women handloom weavers skilled under
SAMARTH scheme during the last 3 years is given below.
The information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES SHRI PABITRA
MARGHERITA in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
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MAM/SMP/NM
(Rajya Sabha US Q2395)
State-wise detail of women handloom weavers skilled under SAMARTH scheme during the last 3 years:
S. No. Name of the State No. of women weavers skilled during FY 2022-23 to 2024-25
1 Andhra Pradesh 425
2 Arunachal Pradesh 328
3 Assam 1,327
4 Bihar 431
5 Chhattisgarh 353
6 Gujarat 379
7 Haryana 197
8 Himachal Pradesh 451
9 J&K 361
10 Jharkhand 567
11 Karnataka 47412 Kerala 1,056
13 Madhya Pradesh 393
14 Maharashtra 1,027
15 Manipur 579
16 Meghalaya 133
17 Mizoram 498
18 Nagaland 396
19 Odisha 727
20 Punjab 98
21 Rajasthan 331
22 Tamil Nadu 1,027
23 Telangana 697
24 Tripura 475
25 Uttar Pradesh 727
26 Uttarakhand 269
27 West Bengal 451
Total 14,177
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(Release ID: 2154076)