Jaipur, Oct 1 (IANS): On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the FICCI Rajasthan State Council organised a webinar on 'Future of Handloom & Khadi'.

Speaking as Chief Guest at the webinar, Dr Arvind Mayaram, Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan mentioned that consumerism drives the world and there is a need to create demand and make people greedy for handlooms and khadi.

"We need to look at development of handloom and khadi from an economic activity perspective."

Dhiraj Srivastava, Commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation said that there is also a heightened interest and demand for handloom products like never before and time is ripe that we strengthen the entire value chain especially designing and marketing to unleash the real value and potential of the sector.

Laila Tyabji, Chairperson, Dastkar, stressed on bringing khadi beyond Khadi Bhandars. According to her khadi and handloom should be highlighted through nationwide campaigns, media, advertising, etc and given the reach to new markets and showcased at all kind of platforms so as to increase the consumption.

Presenting the concept of 3D - Decentralised, Diverse and Democratic framework for the development of Khadi, Kishore Shah, Co-Founder and Director, Khadi London suggested for setting a transformative target of development of 400 successful clusters and increase in market share for handloom & khadi from 5 to 25 percent by 2025.

Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI mentioned that the handlooms have a long tradition of excellent craftsmanship and acclaimed globally for their weaving and printing elegance. It is important to ensure sustenance of our cultural heritage.

Welcoming the participants, Randhir Vikram Singh, Co-Chairman, FICCI Rajasthan State Council & CMD, Mandawa Hotels said that the handloom sector plays a crucial role in generating employment and revenue. It is one of the few sectors that preserve and promote Indian culture.

Wandana Parnami, Chairperson, FICCI Ladies Organisation - Jaipur Chapter said there is an increased sensitivity towards environment today due to which sustainable fabrics are in demand and the importance of sustainability would play a crucial role in the resurrection of handlooms and khadi.