By Puja Gupta

New Delhi, Jun 4 (IANSlife): The Fashion Design Council of India has opened the next tranche of its Covid-19 Support Fund (CSF) which provides financial aid to weavers and craftsmen who are in crisis due to the pandemic.

FDCI Chairman Suni Sethi tells IANSlife: "In the first tranche we helped out fashion designers for their staff and junior staff which included their tailors, masters, peons and others. But the second tranche is open for non-FDCI designers who were not our members and yet we want to see how we could help them and also other people who are related to it. We did not go to the public for funding. Instead of identifying individual weavers, this time we are going with societies and co-operative societies, unions etc through references, so that the fund is distributed among many."

FDCI has identified two groups Sidhika Self Help Group and MG Gramodyog and already started distributing substantial amount to them. "It is upto them to utilise the amount," Sethi says.

Sidhika Self Help Group in Kaithun town of Rajasthan which comprises 108 women weavers working on Kota Doriya. They are a certified member of All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) Craftmark.

While MG Gramodyog Sewa Sansthan has 32 weavers and 24 spinners in Bengal -- working on revival of Bengal muslin and promote indigenous cotton fabric.

FDCI is open to offer support to any individual or groups related to the fashion fraternity, subjected to its merit, he says.