Problems and Prospects of Powerloom Industry- An Empirical Study of Belagavi Powerloom Sector

Abstract

The Indian textile industry has an overwhelming existence in the Indian economy. It is second largest employer after Agriculture sector in India. It is one of the largest in the world with a massive raw material and textiles manufacturing base. Currently, it contributes about 14 percent to industrial production, 4 percent to the GDP and 17 percent to the country's export earnings. Around 35 million people are directly employed in the textile manufacturing activities. Indirect employment including the manpower engaged in agricultural based raw-material production like cotton and related trade; and handling could be stated to be around another 60 million. The India Textile Industry has three main segments mill sector, handloom sector and decentralised powerloom sector. In textile power loom sector plays a major role in the country. The quantum of production of fabrics in the power loom sector works out 60 per cent of the overall textile production. Healthy competitions have not yet been made and the concerned power loom units have been suffering without new technologies owing to lack of marketing tactics/strategies and new production techniques these are adverse affect on powerloom's performance. This study is based on primary and secondary data, primary data collected through questionnaire method, respondents were selected randomly, and sample size is 100. The study identified those prominent factors that are moving the entrepreneurs slowly of this sector, among these are lack of marketing strategies, production problems , high cost of raw materials, inadequate supply of electricity, lack skilled labour are main barriers of performance in study area. In this study, attempt has been made to evaluate the marketing and production challenges of powerloom units which are manufacturing sarees (unbranded) in Belagavi.