Inauguration of the Handloom Exhibition in Kuwait
- Details
- Category: Embassy News
- Published: Sunday, 29 May 2022 10:21
Remarks by Amb Sibi George at the Inauguration of the Handloom Exhibition in Kuwait, May 29, 2022
Good Morning Everybody,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to join you today at the inauguration of Indian Handloom Exhibition in Kuwait. This exhibition is organized as part of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait. The Sadu House museum is a place where one could see the strong connect between India and Kuwait in textiles industry particularly in the handloom sector. For many generations, Kuwaiti weavers were importing dyes from India. I am happy that this exhibition is held at Sadu House today. I thank NCCAL and Sadu House for the support.
In June last year, we launched a yearlong celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. With NCCAL we had planned a series of joint events covering the entire spectrum of culture, art and letters. It has music activity days, cultural weeks covering Indian movies, culture performances, seminar on historic relations between two countries, seminar on wellness tourism opportunities, joint musical evenings, joint activities on antiquities and maritime trade routes, clothing exhibition, pottery exhibition, symposium on the connect between India and Kuwaiti cuisines, currency and jewelry exhibitions and so on. Despite the challenges of Covid 19 pandemic we organized a series of events.
Today, we are here to inaugurate the Handloom Exhibition at the prestigious Sadu House. It is both culture and business in action together in this exhibition. In its economic transformation, India considers each one of the other GCC countries including Kuwait as our natural partners. In our relations with Kuwait, there exists an opportunity to enhance our presence in sectors where we have been traditionally strong. This include sectors such as food materials, textiles, chemicals, gems and jewelry, engineering machinery etc. In the long term we could move up the value chain in several sectors such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, design outsourcing, development of cutting-edge technologies, ICT and AI across several sectors. It is in this context that this exhibition gains significance. It is part of our efforts to celebrate our cultural connect and at the same time enhance our economic engagement with Kuwait.
The vibrant handloom industry in India reflects India’s cultural richness and diversity. Indian hand-woven fabrics have been known since time immemorial. Of all the arts and crafts of India, traditional handloom textiles are probably among the oldest. The handloom industry in India has a long tradition of excellent craftsmanship, representing and preserving the vibrant Indian culture. Each region of India has its own textile tradition.
From Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala and Tamil Nadu, from North East to Rajasthan and Gujarat, handloom in diverse variety and style is spread across thousands of towns and villages in all the Sates of India. In fact, there is hardly any village where weavers do not exist, each weaving out the traditional beauty of India's own precious heritage. Indian artists are now distinguished worldwide for their hand spinning, weaving and printing elegance and our handloom products are known all over the world.
India’s textiles sector is one of the oldest industries in the Indian economy, dating back to several centuries. The industry is extremely varied, with hand-spun and hand-woven textiles sectors at one end of the spectrum, while the capital-intensive sophisticated mills sector on the other end. India is the world's second largest exporter of textiles and clothing. The Indian textiles and apparel industry contribute 12% to export earnings and held 5% of the global trade in textiles and apparel. It is expected to grow to US$ 190 billion by FY 2026.
In this modern textile industry, India’s handloom sector continues to have a significant position. With over six million people directly and indirectly involved, the handloom industry is the second-largest employment provider for the rural population in India after agriculture.
Indian handloom industry products are known for their unique designs and finesse. The industry has a strong infrastructure with about 2.4 million looms of varied designs and construction, indicating significant production capacity. The export of handloom products from India is valued at around US$ 350 million annually. Nearly 15% of cloth production in India is from the handloom sector.
I invite our Kuwaiti friends to be partners in India’s economic progress and try out more Indian products. I invite the Indian diaspora to join hands with the Embassy and other stakeholders in generating more interest for Indian handloom products among our Kuwait friends and other expatriates.
I thank the many importers of handloom products and textiles from India. I particularly thank Indian Heritage who have put together this impressive collection today.
Once again Thank to NCCAL and Sadu House.
Thank you and good evening.
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