Co-optex lauded for sustainable marketing of State’s handloom weaves

Co-optex brand of Tamil Nadu showcases handwoven textiles at exhibition, aiming for ₹1.5 crore in sales.

Promoting the rich weaving heritage of the State through unique handwoven textiles has helped Co-optex brand of Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society to sustain its profitability over time, R. Gandhi, Minister for Textiles and Handlooms, said on Friday.

Speaking at the inauguration of the brand’s refurbished ‘Amuthasurabi’ store in Rock Fort area on Friday, Mr. Gandhi said that since the inception of Co-optex in 1935, it has grown to represent 1,114 weaving societies in the State at present, and lauded the efforts of the weavers to adapt to changing consumer tastes.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gandhi also inaugurated an exhibition-cum-sale representing 70 weavers’ cooperatives from Tamil Nadu in Tiruchi on Friday, in the presence of Minister for Municipal Administration K. N. Nehru, District Collector M. Pradeep Kumar and senior officials.

The event, organised by the State Department of Handlooms in association with the office of Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Central Ministry of Textiles, is being held at the Makkal Mandram grounds until January 10, 2025.

The 60 stalls feature handloom saris, linen and garments from the weaving centres of Salem, Erode, Kanchipuram other districts.

Ethnic regional weaves such as the ‘Sungudi’ of Madurai and Tiruchi’s Woraiyur and Manamedu cotton saris are also on offer, besides textiles from Puducherry and Panipat. A government discount of 30% is part of the sale, according to an official statement.

“This has been a profitable year for the handloom sector. We are hoping to achieve a sales target of ₹1.5 crore from the exhibition,” T. Ravikumar, Assistant Director of Handlooms, Tiruchi and Thanjavur, told The Hindu.