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Nina Varghese

Work has begun on registering the Kancheepuram sari under the Geographical Indicators Act, to protect the sari from cheap imitations.

CHENNAI, April 16

LOOM World, the marketing outlet of the Department of Handloom and Textiles, Tamil Nadu, plans to open a cyber branch, www.loomworld.gov.in. This e-commerce portal will enable the co-operative societies to market their produce in the overseas markets.

The Director, Department of Handlooms and Textiles, Mr B. Anand, said high-value silk saris, home furnishings and made-ups would be among the main products marketed on this site. These products had a ready market in the Indian Diaspora and with big retailers like Ikea, sources said.

Exports were in the region of Rs 130 crore for the year ended March 31, 2002, as against Rs 92 crore in the previous year.

Loom World, which has outlets in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Erode and Dharmapuri, will also open outlets in Tiruchi and Kancheepuram. The Department is also organising a number of exhibitions to promote handlooms and saris from various co-operative societies.

The Department is in the process of computerising its zari procurement and rebate schemes.

Mr Anand said that work has begun on registering the Kancheepuram sari under the Geographical Indicators Act, which would protect the sari known for its unique design, texture and weight, from cheap imitations. The Department is also planning to design a logo for the Kancheepuram sari, which would help customers distinguish it from other silk saris. Besides, there are plans to check the menace of brokers in Kancheepuram, and to introduce uniform signboards for the co-operative societies that would help customers find the right shops.

Under a pilot project, the department has tied up with Kalakshetra for design development. The designs produced were a success and this scheme has been extended to 10 more societies, Mr Anand said. There are 1,375 cooperative societies in Tamil Nadu, of which only 312 are profitable.

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