Nagpur, Oct 17 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said a textile project launched in his native village of Dhapewada to revive the traditional handloom industry would create employment opportunities for the local Halba Adivasi weaving community.
He was addressing a gathering after veteran actor and MP Hemal Malini inaugurated the building of Dhapewada Textile Udyog Producer Company Limited, a private entity, in the village near Nagpur. Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh was also present.
Gadkari, who has adopted the village, has been working to save the legacy of local handloom.
He said work on the initiative began in 2021 with training for women. Initially, there was uncertainty about the market, but demand has since risen following improvements in product quality, he said.
The Union minister said the Dhapewada Textile project would create new employment opportunities for members of the Halba Adivasi weaving community.
Similar projects have been launched in Gadchiroli and Washim districts in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region to scale up production, while a project in Khapa in Nagpur district has also been planned, he said.
The Dhapewada Textile project would be taken to the global level through the use of artificial intelligence and exports. It aims to provide employment to 5,000 women in the future, he said.
According to a press release, the unit produces tussar silk, silk-cotton and cotton sarees. The project focuses on training local women and providing them with employment.
BJP MP Hema Malini said she appreciated Gadkari’s innovative initiatives. Referring to the fashion show held on the occasion, she said it was also giving sarees from different regions a new platform.
Union minister Singh said Gadkari completed whatever he took up, be it projects in roads, agriculture or textiles. He said the textile sector has immense job-creation potential and that the Dhapewada project would emerge as an important milestone for the sector.
He also expressed confidence that the project could help weaving families earn nearly Rs 30,000 a month throughout the year. PTI CLS NR
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