A case study of the handloom sector of West Bengal

The handloom sector occupies an important place in Indian economy. The sector is the largest generator of non-farm rural employment. Moreover, women contribute heavily to the handloom sector. The survival of the handloom industry and its ability to survive under varied range of economic perspective needs to be understood so that one can understand the long run viability of this enterprise. An in depth appraisal of the handloom industry is therefore the need of the hour. Keeping this in mind and the fact that handloom occupies second place to agriculture, we have made a comparative analysis of the handloom sector of West Bengal with special reference to the products produced, level of employment, availability of credit and type of households dependent on handlooms.