Krishna Weavers Ltd has created 2500 new jobs. By cooperating with a weaving plant with 3000 unused looms from the local government, Krishna Weavers had the opportunity to increase its production capacity. One of the recommendations put forward by Women on Wings after a quick scan in 2010 was to draw up a strategic plan for the product portfolio with regard to getting maximum use out of the unique craft techniques in terms of capacity and product possibilities.
One craft technique is Kalamkari painting. Application of this technique depends on the weather and cannot be used during the months of the rainy season as the paint does not dry on the fabric. Women on Wings advized to look at which other products could be produced during this period to and Krishna Weavers has decided to produce more woven items. As a result of this decision and thanks to large new orders, 2500 women from the surrounding area have found work in the weaving plant in recent months.
In February, Jan Engels, an expert for Women on Wings, continued working with the Krishna Weavers team to examine possibilities for exporting to Europe.
Krishna Weavers Ltd, based in Hyderabad, is a community-owned company (COCs) that supplies products to Fabindia, India’s biggest retailer with over 100 stores in the country. Krishna Weavers specializes in complex techniques for decorating fabrics, e.g. Ikat and Jamdani weaving, Kalamkari painting and block printing. The COC model consists of companies that act as value adding intermediaries between rural producers and Fabindia. These companies are owned, as the name suggests, by the communities in which they operate, and produce clothing and household textiles.
