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Chandigarh, June 26 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Handloom Development Corporation will establish forward linkages with the Chandigarh market through franchises, wholesalers and distributors to promote sale of its products in the region.

This decision was announced by the Corporation managing director Zahid Hussain while addressing the buyer-seller meet on the J&K handloom industry: 'March of tradition in the domain of modernity,' organised jointly by Confedertion of Indian Industry (CII), Chandigarh state council and the Corporation here today.

He said that some of the Corporation's products had been manufactured for high end market keeping in mind the preference of modern retail industry and tradition of India. The artisans are endowed with considerable amount of human capital, but they are constrained by the insignificant size of the market for their products, he said Mr Hussain also mentioned that in case of handloom industry, the marketing channel between the producer and the ultimate consumer was nearly non-existent. Consequently, the capacity of the artisans to imbibe new technologies for treatment of raw material, produce new and good quality products was far below the expected level, he added.

Speaking about the flexibility and verstatility of handloom sector, he said the strength of handloom lay in introducing innovative designs which cannot be replicated by the powerloom sector. Urging the need to revive the handloom sector, he said that hand woven fabric was representative of Indian tradition and the cultural ethos, he added.

Mr Hussain stated that the Corporation was focusing on evolving market oriented products.

On the occasion the Corporation showcased their exclusive products. The products on display comprised light weight finer tweed most suited for formal, informal coats and jackets and fine quality exclusive handwoven shawls in contemporary designs and colours.

Exclusive handwoven Pashmina shawls with hand embroidery in antique designs retrieved from international museums, private collections and historical documents were also on display.

UNI HS MBA KN2009