Agra Durrie Cluster Case Study

Cluster Studies NIFT Delhi

Cluster Studies End Term Integrated Submission as Case study on AGRA-DURRIES AND CARPETS

Submitted ByKritika Joshi Megha Burfal Poshim Mehrotra Shivani Singhal Shreya Jolly Shreya Rajotia Vaishnavi Jaiswal

Under the guidance of Dr. Rajeev Malik Professor Fashion Management Studies, NIFT New Delhi

Department of Fashion Management Studies National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi Batch: 2020-22

CERTIFICATE “This is to certify that this report titled – “Case study on AGRA- Durries and Carpets” is based on the collaborative efforts of –Kritika Joshi, Megha Burfal, Poshim Mehrotra, Shivani Singhal, Shreya Jolly, Shreya Rajotia and Vaishnavi Jaiswal of MFM Semester-II conducted under the guidance of Dr. Rajeev Malik for the integrated end term submission of the subject- “Cluster Studies” for the course Masters of Fashion Management (MFM) at NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, NEW DELHI. Materials and references, wherever borrowed have been duly acknowledged.

Date: 25-06-21

Kritika Joshi Megha Burfal Poshim Mehrotra Shivani Singhal Shreya Jolly Shreya Rajotia Vaishnavi Jaiswal

Dr. Rajeev Malik Professor Fashion Management Studies NIFT New Delhi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This credible report would not have been possible to take its present shape without the help and guidance of some respected people who deserve our most sincere gratitude.

We would like to extend it to Dr. Rajeev Malik, our subject faculty, NIFT Delhi who provided us with elaborate and clear guidelines for this research and helped us throughout the project to deliver our best. Most importantly we would like to thank Supreme Almighty for bestowing us with fruitful results. We would also like to expand our special gratitude to all the people (artisans, weavers and proprietors) who took time out of their busy schedules and helped us with their valuable insights, by participating in extensive video interactions, exhaustive sessions and providing various necessary inputs. Our heartfelt gratitude towards those who have directly/indirectly guided us in making this research happen successfully. Many people, especially our teammates have extended great support and valuable suggestions in this work which gave us the inspiration to be consistent and improve the quality of the research. We owe you all heartfelt reverence for making it happen.

Regards: Kritika Joshi Megha Burfal Poshim Mehrotra Shivani Singhal Shreya Jolly Shreya Rajotia Vaishnavi Jaiswal

Preface 1. Introduction 2. History 3. Famous Durrie Centres of India 3.1 Navalgund Durries 3.2 Warangal Durries 3.3 Tamil Nadu Durries 3.4 Madhya Pradesh Durries 3.5 Himachali Durries 3.6 Rajasthani Durries 3.7 UP Durries 3.7.1 Bhadohi 3.7.2 Mirzapur 3.7.3 Agra 4. Types of carpet manufactured in India 4.1 Hand Knotted 4.2 Hand Woven 4.3 Hand Tufted 4.4 Chindi Rugs 5. Cluster Profiling for Agra Durrie Craft Industry 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Location 5.3 Important Characteristics of the place 5.4 Demography 5.5 Population Distribution 5.6 Caste distribution 5.7 Topography and Physical Environment 5.8 Climate 5.9 Connectivity and Communication with other 5.10 Morphology 6. Market Study- Carpet Industry 6.1 Market Overview 6.2 Key market trends 6.3 Expected rise in demand 7. SWOT Analysis 7.1 PESTEL Analysis 7.1.1 Technological factors 7.1.2 Economic Factors 7.1.3 Social Factors 7.1.4 Political Factors 7.1.5 Legal Factors 7.1.6 Environmental Factors 8. Welfare Scheme for Handloom sector weavers 8.1 National Handloom Development Program 8.2 Welfare Scheme for Handicraft sector weavers 8.3 National Handicraft Development Program 8.4 Yarn Supply Scheme 9. Process and Techniques 9.1 Tools 9.2 Raw Materials 9.3 Process 9.4 Pre-Production 9.5 Production 9.6 Post Production and Packaging 10. Artisans Profiling 11. Our Learnings 12. Case Study on Agra Durrie Craft Cluster (Fatehpur Sikri) 12.1 Objective 12.2 Introduction 12.3 Background 12.4 Research Problem Statement 12.5 Findings 12.6 Recommendations 13. Conclusion 14. Appendices 14.1 Documentation of artisan meetings 14.2 Visual evidence 15. References

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE The Indian handicrafts are renowned globally for their rich variety, grace, elegance and skilled craftsmanship. Undoubtedly, Durrie craft of Fatehpur Sikri, Agra is no exception to this. Durrie craft, a symbol of our glorious past portrays our great cultural heritage. In fact the workmanship in woven dhurries reflects the high standard of hand-art and imaginative capability of our craftsmen through exemplary designs and elegant colours. A peep into the historical perspective reveals that craft work was practised in olden days as devotion to profession and not merely with economic motive. India has been renowned for stunning floor mats since time immemorial. This traditional craft was patronized by all the Indian kings in a manner typical to their culture and heritage. This craft received a significant boost during the reign of Akbar who was fascinated with the intricate designs and bold colours. Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and Lahore were established as centres for weaving prayer mats, carpets, rugs and other types of decorative floor mats during his reign.As a matter of fact craftsmanship represents the love of labour, dedication and faith in traditional occupation. For that matter in the past, craftsmanship was associated with religion, philosophy and the traditional way of life.

Though a number of handicrafts because of their cut-throat competition with factory made products, non-availability of raw materials, exorbitant increase in the manufacturing cost, lack of proper marketing facilities for finished products or due to a variety of other reasons have either become extinct or have reached the threshold of same. Since independence, however, a number of schemes were introduced by different government agencies for their growth and development but still this immediate impetus has helped only a few crafts to flourish and thereby become spinners of foreign exchange for the country. Despite the unique position being enjoyed by the handicrafts especially in the realm of national economy and international attention through foreign exchange, the general awareness among the people in the country about our crafts and craftsmen had been unexpectedly low. Until recently, nothing much encouraging is practically known by the masses about the commodities produced, techniques employed for the manufacture of different objects, raw materials used, their availability, methods adopted for the sale of finished products etc. Through this case study, an attempt has been made to lay emphasis on matters that are vital for the revival of the rural craft of durrie making and thereby for the rejuvenation of the economy of the region particularly the village involved in this narrative.

This is in consonance with the policy of the government to give due importance to the rural sector with focus on employment intensive strategy of development in which next to agriculture, the small scale industries and handicrafts play a significant role.The weaving industry of Agra has been thriving as a cottage industry for centuries and provides employment opportunities for thousands of people. Agra durrie requires a highly skilled workforce who express their creativity in innovative ways. Agra durrie was granted the Geographical Indication Tag (GI) in 2013. The present report is the outcome of a virtual remote study conducted on Durrie Craft in Fatehpur Sikri Development Block (rural based handicraft) by the team of Masters of Fashion Management students at NIFT, Delhi.We take immense pleasure in acknowledging the support rendered by the approached weavers and proprietors in the space for bringing out this publication.

INTRODUCTION A dhurrie (also dhurrie, durrie, durry or dari) is an Indian term for a handwoven rug or a thin flat carpet, an item of home furnishing. A durrie is used traditionally as floor coverings. The concept of durrie differs from that of carpet or rug in the sense that they are used for bedding as well as packaging not only as floor coverings. Durrie weaving has been a big industry in rural India and they have unique designs based on the state of origin.In India, States like Rajasthan, Uttar pradesh, Punjab, Himachal pradesh and Madhya pradesh etc make distinctive types of durries.With the changing taste of the consumers, the craftsmen have also changed the technique and design of durrie weaving. For example, artisans are now producing a new variety of durrie, popularly known as modern chindi durrie, which is a comparatively recent phenomenon and a nuance in the durrie craft of Agra. This variety is liked not only at Indian homes but also by the consumers living abroad.

Actually this item is a new presentation with a traditional touch.The ancient craftsmanship of durrie weaving based on traditional pattern is somehow surviving and the weavers in fact are now in deplorable condition. The Government of India and the State Government are taking consistent efforts to help the weavers to come out of their gloomy position. But in the absence of any collaborative policy, which makes artisans at the ground an important stakeholder in the process it seems quite difficult to revive the vulnerable art.

The study has revealed that craftsmen are exploited and are deprived of the profit accruing to them as a consequence of their hard labour and skill. Lack of training facilities, shortage of raw material on one hand and rising cost on the other has hampered the overall development of industry. The guild system created by the exporting agencies has further deteriorated the condition of poor weavers. Not only this, measures taken up by various agencies in this regard are not sufficient to allure the craftsmen to continue in this profession. The Government of India is providing subsidies on export of chindi durries which if continued in the future would certainly be a good source of valuable foreign exchange earnings.

A grand example of craftsmanship is visible in several varieties of durries, such a cotton carpet, woollen carpet, silken carpet, chindi durrie, cot durrie, nawaz durrie etc. A brief account of all these varieties has been described in the study with a special emphasis on the traditional and contemporary pattern of durries woven in the Fatehpur Sikri Belt.

Durrie weaving is one of our ancient traditional crafts and constitutes an important segment of the decentralised sector of our economy. It provides employment to lakhs of artisans, clustered all over the country, especially in rural and semi-urban areas. In fact, this craft represents the rich cultural heritage of our country. For the type of economy like ours its importance is immense due to the higher employment potentials and comparatively lower scales of investment requirement. Apart from this, it attracts buyers from the foreign markets and for that matter it has the avenue of substantial foreign exchange earnings. The durrie craft can be classified under the broad head of carpets which includes rugs, woollen and silk carpets, numdah, gabbas, druggets and durries. The colourful and artistic varieties of durrie are very popular all over the country. It is said that the art of weaving has been known to man much before the period of 'Ramayana' and 'Mahabharata'. This fact is corroborated by writings in our Sanskrit literature where there is a mention of words "Tantu" and "Ot" ‘Of ‘ i.e. 'warp' and 'weft' respectively. In fact, the origin of this craft has its roots in the ages when the story of man himself began to be articulated.

At that time, a good standard of hand made art on fabrication was achieved and was liked by all. As a matter of fact the description of the art on textile goods in our holy 'Vedas' also confirms its ancient origin. Rise and fall in the growth of craft during different periods of history, Durrie craft has been many vicissitudes since its inception. It is part of the handloom industry. With the development of this industry in India the craft also got ample opportunity and encouragement for the expansion, especially during Mughal period.

Afterwards, how the craft survived, is a very painful story. Its mere attachment of craftsmen for their profession that has led it to survive.

The other factor which helped in sustaining the fading glory of craft was their attraction for possessions or as a gift item. As a matter of fact the profession of craftsmanship was then considered a symbol of love and dedication for those who practised it. Due to the influence of Aryan and Dravidian culture in central Asia and later on dominance of Islamic and European traditions, the fate of weavers remained hanging in balance. Astonishingly the art of durrie weaving could not flourish to the expectation even during the regime of Mughal emperor Akbar which is well known as the golden period for the development of craft and culture..

According to Mr. D. N. Saraf an expert in the field, "The Indian pile carpet industry began in the 16th century around 1580, when Mughal emperor Akbar brought some Persian weavers to India and set up the royal workshop in his own palace.”Sir George Birdwood is of the opinion that the practice of manufacturing carpets existed in India even before the Muslims. There is, however, hardly any evidence to show that it was then an organised industry except that Abdul-Fazal in his Ainc-Akbari has mentioned about the weaving of beautiful Zazilms.

Satrangis, Baluchis and fine woollen and silken durries in India. Agra was the capital of the Mughal emperor for a pretty long time. The members of the royal family were the great patronisers of the art and noted for their artistic and colourful taste. Consequently industrialists and artists thronged the imperial city to try their luck. Thus Agra became the homeland of art and culture in India and continued to be the centre of such activities till the capital was shifted to Delhi. Later on with the downfall of Mughal empire there came deterioration in the quality and standard. Due to lack of encouragement and patrons, artists were then forced to migrate to other places in order to keep their art and craft alive. The durrie craft could survive afterwards only due to the dedication and love of the craftsmen for their profession.

HISTORY OF DURRIES The origins of dhurrie can be traced far back to the ritualistic floor paintings in India. In the Hindu and tribal communities, drawing patterns on walls and home floors was believed to be a powerful religious charm that would ward off evil spirits and energies from their houses.

These patterns were drawn as a prayer to invoke the deities and ask for protection from negative energies. In this way the merging of religious belief systems and a love of art and decoration gave rise to an intricate art where the homes became the canvas. Even in the Hindu religious epic ‘The Ramayana’, Goddess Sita is mentioned decorating the threshold of her home with religious designs. The Ramayana mentions Sita decorating the threshold of her home with sacred designs. Even today in various parts of India, these floor decorations are made as part of different religious festivals and are known by different names such as ‘Rangoli’, ‘Mandana’ and ‘Kolam’. Every Hindu scripture has riveting descriptions of magnificent cities, grand palaces and alluring inner chambers that are richly embellished in gold, diamonds, precious stones and expensive clothes. The bright floor coverings that were spread out to receive Lord Krishna at Shauripur near Agra has been mentioned in the Mahabharat at length and the origin of the Agra durrie can be traced back to this ancient period.

In many traveler accounts of the 13th century, there are descriptions of the floor mats of India. It is mentioned that palm leaves, reeds and other dried foliage were used to make floor coverings for their qualities like water resistance, cooling capacity and easy storage (they could be rolled up and stored in corners or shelves). A painting made in the late 18th century for Lady Impey, wife of British governor of Bengal, depicts a striped Indian dhurrie covering the floor of a nursery. The ‘Sitalpati’ mat of Bengal, Assam and Tripura was woven on a loom with cotton warps for the finest and most flexible mats. Animal skins were also used as floor coverings and were commonly depicted in Persian as well as Indian miniature paintings. Tiger and leopard skins were symbols of high stature and power.

In many records of the 19th century, ‘dhurrie’ is referred to as a ‘Dari’ or ‘Satranji’ in the northern parts of India and as ‘Jamkhani’ in southern India.

The earliest surviving relic of the ‘Indian dhurrie’ can now be seen in the British Museum in London where it has been permanently housed. It is a cotton rug fragment found by ‘Sir Aurel Stein’ in 1901 at the ancient ‘Niya’ site in Turkistan.

Carbon dating puts it between the first and third century AD.

The earliest depiction of the dhurrie is found in the painting of Mahajanaka Jataka found in Ajanta caves. In the painting King Mahajanaka is depicted standing on a plain Indian dhurrie. In ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ of the Mughal era, there are references to the production of ‘Satranji’ or flat weaves, in the royal workshops of Lahore, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. Many other references are present in the paintings of Mughal emperors such as ‘Shah Jahan in Darbar’ (c.1630), ‘A Night celebrating the Prophet’s Birthday, ‘Agra’ (c.1635) etc. The ‘Calico museum of textiles’ in Ahmedabad houses one of the finest examples of the Indian flatwoven rug. It was originally in the ‘Ambar’ palace in Rajasthan. It has a cotton warp and woollen weft, and is believed to have been woven in the middle of the 17th century in Lahore. In the early 19th century, during the peak of the British rule, dhurrie manufacturing flourished immensely as it entered a highly organized phase where details of crafts and industrial projects were logged. A dhurrie with a tile design was used as a backdrop in the Indian pavilion during the ‘Great Exhibition’ to promote trade at the Crystal Palace, London.

As dhurrie making craft could be made in small productions, many prisons took to it as a professional and recreational activity for the inmates. In the late 1930s, the ‘Bikaner central jail’ won the ‘All India Weaving and Printing Competition’, awarded by the government of United Provinces. This broadly divided weaving into two organized sectors; private industry and prison industry. Apart from these a third but very important sector was the village industry.

The private and commercial sectors were taken forward with workshops in towns and setting up of cotton mills. Slowly production was only concentrated on ‘striped dhurries’ and niche ‘prayer mats’. It must have been the pressure to buy only British mill produced products, that caused the striped dhurries to be found all over India. The monographs written in the 19th and early 20th centuries concentirated on the village industry – the locally owned productions and workshops.The prison workshops were among the many reforms and enterprises by the maharajas. They proved to be a fierce competition for the private industries.

The skill of the craftsmen can be judged by the level of complexity in motifs like the ‘Neempatti’ motif which has 24- petal flowers surrounded by flowers and leaves. The ‘Surajmukhi’ or sunflower design is another popular motif. Indian carpet/Dhurrie weaving history dates back to the 16th century with the advent of Mughal Era in the 1500’s. When Mughal Emperor Babur conquered India and took Delhi in 1526, he lamented about the lack of luxuries in India. He did not establish any weaving center or try to create these textiles in his new homeland; instead, he imported them from Iran. Babur developed the city of Agra.

Agra continued to be a major seat of Mughal power which was influenced by Persian arts, architecture and poetry during this time.

Mughal affinity for the high arts and culture of Persia helped in the establishment of Persian culture in India.

Dhurrie weaving has grown to be one of the richest traditions in India, and a significant aspect in the life of many villagers. The tradition has been passed on through generations and holds a vast decorative vocabulary of cultural symbolism.

Designs have been handed down with the intention of passing on skills as well as in the form of dowry.

In Madhya Pradesh, the main centres for dhurrie production are ‘Sironj’, ‘Jhabua’, ‘Raigarh’, and ‘Jabalpur’ where women mainly practice the craft in their homes. Dhurries of these regions are famous for their strength and sturdiness as well as choice of bright color palettes.The main patterns and motifs in dhurries are mostly geometric in design. A wide range of designs exists which contains inspirations from local architecture, flora and fauna. Stripes, geometric variations, sprawling wines, peacocks, tree of life, hunting scenes, medallion patterns etc are the most commonly seen designs in dhurries. Kiln designs are also replicated in the dhurrie weaving. Popular tales and stories are also depicted in the dhurries. The dhurries of Madhya Pradesh conventionally have a pinkish white background with patterns in bright red color. The motifs are separated by black or bright red color lines.

MAHARAJA OF JAIPUR, SAWAI RAM SINGH II, WAS BELIEVED TO BE A PIONEER IN SUCH A MOVE – HE BUILT A NEW JAIL IN JAIPUR IN 1856 AD, INTRODUCED REFORMS AND THE IDEA OF EMPLOYING PRISONERS FOR SKILL BASED ACTIVITIES.

PAGE 4 | LONE PLANET

Although some carpet weaving was done in rural areas of India, the great Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) brought the art to the fore during his reign and was called “the Golden age of carpet weaving in India”. Indian artisans were adept in weaving lightweight textiles with fine wool, silk and cotton but not pile carpets. Akbar established royal workshops in his court and brought talented artisans from Persia to proliferate the art of pile weaving to Indian craftsmen. This art of carpet weaving flourished under the rule of Akbar. He also established carpet weaving centers in Delhi and Lahore apart from Agra. These handicrafts were inspired by persian style with traditional motifs, patterns and designs from Persian court.

The pieces were brightly covered and hand knotted silk carpets which were mixed with Indian art and modified as per royal taste.

Under colonial rule during the 18th century, Indian pile carpets reached Europe. It appeared at the London Exhibition of 1851 put it for the first time on the global map and gave it a prominent place in the western world and traders began to recognize India. Soon after, a few carpet manufacturing factories were opened at Srinagar, Amritsar, Mirzapur, Agra, Kashmir, Masulipatnam and a few towns of Hyderabad. The British introduced carpet weaving in prisons to provide the long-term prisoners a dependable vocation for earning their livelihood. This introduction of carpets in jail also helped in meeting the overseas demand and this marks the beginning of carpet production on modern lines. In the study of crafts, durries were earlier dismissed as a poor man’s carpet and undermined in its value. But with time it soon became popular due to its abstract patterns and contemporary design appeal.

Being woven these durries have an advantage of being reversible, which enhances its functionality.

In comparison with carpets, they are lighter and its weaving method provides better flexibility in creating more varied designs. The craft of durrie making is mostly practiced by women of the house.

The craft requires a simple set up of a ‘punja’, a ‘pit loom’ or just two horizontal bars that are used to weave by hand. This basic setup enables them to practice the craft efficiently. Durrie making uses two basic techniques; the ‘punja’ technique and the traditional ‘pit loom with the fly shuttle’. The Punja technique requires a simpler set up than the traditional pit loom. Cotton is mostly handspun by women while yarns are dyed by men.

Panja weaving constitutes a significant part of India's glorious weaving tradition which is mostly used for making durries. The craft's name originates from a metallic claw-like tool called “Panja” which is used to beat and set the threads in a warp. Panja durries are woven and not knotted which makes them light and usable on both sides.

‘Durries’ have a vast variety of uses depending on its size, pattern and the material used. The smallest ones of sizes 12 by 12 inches are used as table mats to keep flower vases, while a moderate sized durrie of 24 by 24 inches known as ‘Aasan’ is used for meditation or as yoga mats. A large durrie of about 20 feet by 20 feet is used for large gatherings like a political or social gathering.

Traditionally, Dhurries were used as floor coverings but due to their attractive and intricate patterns they are now also used as wall hangings.

Due to their low cost and ease of maintenance, Durries do not get infected by pests and insects like ‘silverfish’ that often affect carpets.Versatile nature cotton durries help in keeping warm during winters while it has a cooling effect during summers.

FAMOUS DURRIE CENTRES OF INDIA Navalgund Dhurrie: These are woven durries, a type of Indian rug with geometric designs, birds and animal designs from a place called Navalgund in Dharwad district of Karnataka.

These durrigullu are made exclusively by the women of the community, operating the looms at home. At one time, there were 75 women working on this handicraft, but due to lack of facilities and poor returns, now only some 35 women are engaged in the weaving of the rugs.This type of durrie is not made at any other place. The artisans are quite secretive about their art of weaving these durries and the skill is taught only to their daughters–in-law (not to their daughters as after marriage they would go away to another family).

Warangal Dhurries: In Telangana, Dhurries are made mainly in Warangal. They are famous as “Shatrangis”. They consist of simple motifs woven into the body with a wide variety of shades generally with contrasting borders.

The Shatrangis are made using horizontal looms in Warangal and parkal. They are handwoven by Padmasali communities on pit looms and frame looms that are equipped with treadles to improve the speed while ensuring the intricate detailing.

In addition to this weavers use weft interlocking techniques. These Dhurries are in great demand due to their handmade nature, patterning and use of colors. They are now being adapted to include different varieties of fibres like jute, cotton and wool to suit domestic as well as international market demand. However their geometric motif patterns remain unchanged.

Tamil Nadu Dhurries: In Tamil Nadu, the Durries weaving tradition is about 200 years old. Famous with the name of “Bhawani durries”, the Coimbatore centre has been famous for its Silk Dhurries but they also produce cotton Dhurries for economies of scale now. Salem is another important centre of this type of craft. The pattern consists of a lotus in the middle with its borders having flowing floral patterns or stylised parrots.

Madhya Pradesh Dhurrie: Madhya Pradesh Dhurries are known for their colours and sturdy character. The weaving is done by hand operated pit looms. The yarn is dyed into various colors according to the thought out combination and is further manipulated by hand during the weaving process to get the desired effects. The floor coverings or Jajams as they are called are quite famous. Traditionally, they have pinkish white backgrounds and red designs. A large number of motifs are used to compose the final design and they are separated by black or dark red lines. There is surajmukhi (a large sunflower) design. Another famous Neempatti design has a 24 petal flower surrounded by leaves and other flowers. Some of the jajams possess geometric motifs however the border designs mainly consist of leaves and flowers.

Himachali Dhurries: Sheep and goat rearing is a common occupation for villagers living at high altitudes who are mainly involved in Felting and blanket weaving. Himachali Carpets are durable and have captivating designs. Dragons borrowed from China and Hindu swastika , Trishul motifs are also popular in these Durries and carpets. Kinnaur is noted for its fine weave , the residual wool left after the material for pashmina shawls is used for weaving a rough yarn from which carpets and dhurries called karcha, chuktu, chugdaan are made.

Rajasthan Dhurries: Rajasthan Dhurries are traditionally known for fine quality hand knotted woollen carpets. Main centres for this craft are - Jaipur , Ajmer and Bikaner however the craft is also found in smaller towns such as Barmer, Tonk, Chaksu, Manaharpura. The motifs used in the Dhurries are of Indo-Heretic origin. Colors used are blue, red, purplish tints in combination. The border motifs contain long serrated leaves and bold flowers.

Rajasthan has a strong woollen base and In salawas near Jodhpur, there reside 5000 weavers that make Dhurries from goat and camel hair.

Recently the weavers have started using cotton, wool and silk yarn as well. These Dhurries are known for figurative symbols and geometric patterns in myriad colors. The weaving happens horizontally on the foot treadle

UP Durries UP is one of the main centres of carpet weaving in the country. The important towns being Mirzapur, Bhadoi , Khamaria which has about 500 villages in and around the area involved in this craft. Finer weave is obtained by using twisted cotton thread, jute is increasingly in demand for this type of craft.

Agra has been a traditional centre for carpet weaving since the Mughal era. Both traditional as well as modern designs are found here.

Agra Durries: The Agra rugs use the Persian or asymmetrical knot with foundations and piles of wool, cotton and silk. Weaving tends to be dense with knots per inch going as large as 2000 KPI. Agra rugs use a soft color palette like yellow, saffron, beige or light green, although deep reds are also used. Motifs are woven in a variety of colors including blues, greens, burgundy, black and browns. The designs tend to be naturally inspired particularly the lotus and rose, and other botanical elements including vines, shrubs and trees, especially the cypress. Rows of flowers and flowers in vases gracefully fill the field as prominent patterns. Carpets were made for the court, so designs, size and material are on an elegant scale.

Bhadoi Durries: Bhadoi’s tradition of durrie making dates back to when Iranian master weavers traveled around and set up their looms in various places, it has now turned into the biggest carpet manufacturing center with millions involved in knotted carpet weaving. Their designs are trendy and inline with international demands. It is also tagged under GI tag for its high quality and is called the carpet city.

Mirzapur Durries: It is famous for Durries woven through Panja weaving technique.

Mirzapur durries are completely hand woven with weft threads on a horizontal loom. Cotton and wool are mainly used to create Dhurries. Colourful wefts are juxtapositioned to form various geometric patterns such as diamond shapes and also figures like birds (peacocks), animals.

Hand Knotted carpets & Hand woven carpets Both types above are made by hand but they each employ a unique weaving technique that affects their quality, texture, design complexity and price.

Hand-woven rugs are often called as “flatweaves” because they’re flat. They are woven more like a basket, which means the front and the back look the same, making the rug reversible. They have no pile or actual “knots.”

TYPES OF CARPETS MANUFACTURED IN INDIA A hand-tufted rug is made partially by hand and partially by a mechanized tool. This type of rug is made of wool. A hand-tufted rug is made by punching strands of wool into a canvas that is stretched on a frame with the help of a handoperated tool. This process is not very timeintensive and does not require the same level of skill that hand-knotting does. After piling with wool, the rug is removed from the frame. It has a backing to hold the tufts in place. Often a scrim fabric is glued to the back. To complete the rug, a fringe is added by either sewing or gluing it on.

The major advance in carpet manufacture occurred in the 20th century with the development of tufting and knitting to high speed methods for constructing carpet piles. yarn fabrics. The main carpet producing center of machine knotted carpets is MirzapurBhadohi(U.P).

Hand-knotted rugs are an ancient art and are almost always more expensive than hand- woven as their production process is longer and more complex. Hand-knotted rugs are thousands or millions of knots individually tied to a foundation. The rugs are “raw” after the knotting is finished and must be shaved down to get this finished, detailed look. They have a distinct back and a front; the front is the plush and detailed side. An average weaver can tie about 10,000 knots per day.

Chindi rugs: These durries are made of waste cloth. These are prepared in different sizes to put on the floor or used for covering furniture or for wall decoration.

These are increasingly being liked in foreign countries.

CLUSTER PROFILING FOR AGRA RUGS AND CARPET CRAFT/INDUSTRY Fatehpur Sikri, a historical town, is located at a distance of 39 kilometers in the west of Agra city. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 15th century. Since then it has been a prominent place of tourist attraction because of historical monuments. Buland Darwaza is particularly famous among all. This town has also been in limelight on account of its age-old durrie weaving industry. Durrie weaving is basically a household industry that presents glimpses of the handmade craft of the Mughal period and finds a mention in the annals of this town. It is spread over an area of 8 square kilometers accommodating a population of 32,905 persons as per the 2011 Census.

LOCATION: The town is situated in the plateau of Vindhyan ranges. It is surrounded by the state of Rajasthan on three sides, i.e. north, west and south and by Agra city in the east. Bharatpur, famous for its birds' sanctuary, Rajasthan, is another important historical site adjacent to it.

The state headquarters, Lucknow, is at a distance of 416 kms by road and 363 kms by rail from the town .

IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOWN: As has already been mentioned Fatehpur Sikri is famous for its durrie weaving industry. There are a large number of people in the town who work on their looms and produce the most colourful and artistic variety of durries which are sold all over India and also exported to various foreign countries. Apart from this industry, Mughal period monuments also glorify this town. Buland Darwaza and the Dargah of Hazrat Sheikh Salim Chisti are more prominent among them. Dargah of Hazrat Sheikh Salim Chishti is located within the quadrangle of the Jama Masjid. An important feature of the Oargah of Hazrat Sheikh Salim Chisti is that devotees of all castes , creeds and religions offer their respect in this tomb for the fulfilment of their wishes . Other important monuments are Jodhabai's Palace, Mariyam's House, Panch Mahal, Turkish Sultana's House, Diwan-e-Am, Diwan-e-Khas, Birbal's House etc.

As Fatehpur Sikri falls in the zone of hot and dry climate, the tourists prefer to visit the town during the winter season.

Two major communities in the town are Hindus and Muslims. The former constitutes 76.82 per cent of the total population while the latter accounts for 22.86 per cent. It is a matter of pride for this town that the communal riots have never occurred here . There has been peaceful coexistence and brotherhood among the inhabitants of the town. People belonging to different religions freely participate in each other's festivals and festivities.

DEMOGRAPHY: The Fatehpur Sikri Nagar Palika Parishad has a population of 32,905 of which 17,392 are males while 15,513 are females as per report released

by Census India 2011.

Population of Children between the ages of 0-6 is 5139 which is 15.62 % of the total population of Fatehpur Sikri (NPP). In Fatehpur Sikri Nagar Palika Parishad, Female Sex Ratio is of 892 against state average of 912. Moreover Child Sex Ratio in Fatehpur Sikri is around 891 compared to Uttar Pradesh state average of 902.

Literacy rate of Fatehpur Sikri city is 62.08 % lower than the state average of 67.68 %. In Fatehpur Sikri, Male literacy is around 71.59 % while female literacy rate is 51.41 %.

FATEHPUR SIKRI CASTE DISTRIBUTION: Schedule Caste (SC) constitutes 12.49 % of total population in Fatehpur Sikri (NPP). The (NPP) Fatehpur Sikri currently doesn’t have any Schedule Tribe (ST) population.

FATEHPUR SIKRI POPULATION DISTRIBUTION: Out of the total population, 10,082 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 8,245 were males while 1,837 were females. In census surveys, a worker is defined as a person who does business, job, service, and cultivator and labour activity. Of the total 10082 working population, 72.30 % were engaged in Main Work while 27.70 % of total workers were engaged in Marginal Work.

TOPOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: Alluvium (matter transported in suspension and deposited by rivers and. floods) in the town consists of interbedded silt and clay. At nearby places (around the town) tile calcareous con cretions (limy or chalky formations) are associated with alluvium in the form of kankar and these are used as road building material as well as in the construction of buildings. The Vindhyan sandstone found in the region is mostly ferruginous . It varies in colour from white and light brown to deep reddish brown.

The red sandstone of Fatehpur Sikri is famous throughout the country. The town lies in the western upland of the district. The soil in the area is generally light with a loamy and sandy texture and is yellowish-brown to light brown in colour. The soil of the lower horizons is sandy loam. There is no forest belt in the vicinity of the town. The general topography of the town is sloppy. While the main road is on the lower plain level of the town, the major part of the town 's residential area is on the slope of the hill. The height of the residential area on the slope goes up to about one hundred metres from the main road.

CLIMATE: The climate of the town is hot and dry. Summer season lasts here for a longer period than in other places in the north. The town is situated on the Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan border and therefore the climate is almost similar to that of Rajasthan.

The Winter season lasts from November to February; January being the coldest month. There is a high degree of variation in the temperature from. winter to summer. During winter it i$ as low as 3° Celsius while in summer the temperature goes as high as 45 .7° Celsius.

The average annual rainfall for the last five years comes to 743.9 mm. Cultivation is solely dependent on rain. There is a shortage of drinking water during the summer.

CONNECTIVITY AND COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER PLACES: As already mentioned Fatehpur Sikri is situated at a distance of 39 kilometres from Agra, the district Headquarters. The town falls on Agra-Kota broad gauge railway track of the Western Railways. Agra is the main railway junction connecting almost all the major places of India. It takes hardly one hour to reach Agra from Fatehpur Sikri and from there one can approach any part of the country by rail or by road. The town is very well connected with all the major metropolitan cities of the country including Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

The most important road connection is, obviously, Agra. Besides, the town is connected by the metalled road with small towns like Acchnera {16 kms.} and the tehsil headquarters of Kiraoli (11 kms). The state headquarters Lucknow, is also connected with the road on which the 'Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) ply their buses. Tours for sightseeing to Fatehpur Sikri are arranged from Agra and Delhi.

Tourists also reach this historical town by their own vehicles. Postal and telephone facilities are available in the town. There is an automatic telephone exchange with 42 lines on board and there are 27 telephones installed in the town. As indicated by the small number of telephones, this facility is not very popular in the town.

MORPHOLOGY: The total length of the roads in the town is 23.54 kms. of which the motorable roads account for 5.12 kms. The main road stretches from Clock Tower to Terha Darwaza. The Dak Bungalow road is the other metalled road in the town which leads to the historical monuments. The old by-pass to Bayana has now been abandoned since the construction of 1e new by-pass. The roads in the town are not properly laintainecl Most of these are virtually lanes approaching the main road from different points. These are made of bricks or stone slabs and known as laranjas. These kharanjas are not fit for vehicular movement. Tongas ply from the Clock Tower to the railway station, Octroi post (2 kms.) and Dura village (11 kms.).

MARKET STUDY MARKET OVERVIEW The rising construction industry is another major factor driving the growth of carpets and rugs in residential and non-residential segments.

Carpets and rugs are mainly seen as materials that modify the structure of a place by adding comfort, warmth, and cushion to the place. Various kinds of rugs such as bedroom rugs, living room rugs ,Carpets and rugs are widely used as decorative home flooring products in residential and commercial places in India.

The main factors driving the demand of the carpets and rugs market in India are urbanization, rising construction, rapid growth in the base of the middle-class population, demand for well-equipped furniture houses, lifestyle changes, and increased spending on home furnishings and interiors. The country's growth is mainly driven by the demand for decorative and ornamental rugs rather than carpet flooring.

Shag rugs, office rugs, wool rugs, braided rugs, and other flooring rugs are preferred in the market.

Carpets made from new fibers like jute, linen, hemp, blended materials with the help of technologies are trending in the market.

With an increase in concerns over environmental issues, consumers in the

market are showing interest in carpets and rugs made up of recycled raw materials, waste, used and discarded products.

KEY MARKET TRENDS: India is a Global Leader in Hand-made Carpets. India is the world's largest producer and exporter of handmade carpets in terms of value and volume. Around 75-85% of carpets manufactured in India are exported.

Indian carpets are known worldwide for their excellent design, fascinating colours and quality.

During April-November 2019, exports of handmade carpets from India stood at INR 64,407.19 crore (USD 916.15 million) Source: Office of the Textile Commissioner.

Its heritage in handmade carpets is recognized in the world with its recognizable share in global exports. India exports carpets to more than 70 countries worldwide.

Major importers for the Indian woven carpets are the United States, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, France, Italy, Brazil, etc India is responsible for around 40% of worldwide export of handmade carpets.

Export of carpets from India stood at US$ 1.37 billion in FY20, while that of handicrafts excluding handmade carpets reached US$ 1.79 billion during the same period.

The total carpet export was US$ 1.33 billion between April 2020 and February 2021.

The carpet export in the month of February 2021, was US$ 136.21 million and for handicrafts excluding handmade carpets was US$ 179.27 million.

WOVEN CARPETS DOMINATED THE MARKET, TUFTED CARPETS DEMAND EXPECTED TO RISE: Carpet weaving is an ancient Indian tradition tracing back its origin from 16th-century Persian carpets and rugs. The carpets manufactured are usually hand-knotted, and they have various motifs in their designs. The Indian carpet industry is a rural-based, labor-intensive handicraft industry. The buyers and weavers highly prefer Indian silk carpets because of their originality, color, quality, design, and durability.

However, tufted carpet demand is expected to rise in the market because of the use of synthetic materials, which makes it cheaper, and the making of carpets is also less laborintensive. Consumers' preference is dynamically changing in the market, and they prefer carpets that are washable and affordable.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE CARPET INDUSTRY:

PESTEL ANALYSIS Describing a framework of macroenvironmental factors used in the environmental scanning for strategic management in the rugs and carpet industry in India.

Production level – Whether the factory is able to meet the demand on time or not.

Internal finances and cash-flow – How well these aspects are managed and taken care of efficiently and honestly.

TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS: Any change in the industry in terms of the following factors would affect the business and work for these weavers.

Associated technology – Any change in prices of the machinery, techniques, labour used.

Obsolete technology – This will lead to wastage of time, efforts and most importantly money in case the technology presently used goes obsolete.

Technology knowledge and access – Whether access to such technology is easy or requires more time, effort or money is an important factor to look out for. Also, accurate knowledge and source of knowledge is equally important.

Global communications – This will increase or decrease the business for the weavers in this industry – whether they are easily able to cater to the global market, transparent and easy communications and connections.

SOCIAL FACTORS: This area underlines important social, cultural issues and topics that are relevant in the society and how they are taken care of for smooth functioning of the industry.

Child labor issues Freedom and education –Whether the children of these weavers have accurate knowledge, education and freedom to choose what they want to choose.

Use of chemical dyes – If such health and hygiene laws are taken care of or not and that it does not impact the lives of other people.

Media – How the media portrays this craft and how media is used to spread word and awareness about the Indian culture and make an impact.

Country's image – This factor determines how well this industry portrays the country and its culture and tradition as a whole and represents it worldwide.

Buying access – If the correct market – national or international – has easy access to these products Ethical/religious factors – Making sure no religious group, community or others’ sentiments or values are hurt or demeaned in any way.

Demographics – Products made and sold on the basis of these aspects like age group, buying power, social class, preferences etc.

ECONOMIC FACTORS: Here are listed some of the time periods and situations that gravely impacted the carpet and rugs industry.

Economic Slowdown of 2007-08 Inflation – Increase in prices of raw materials, labour, transportation cost, ordering cost and other factors.

Pandemic lockdowns, international business, labour issues Funding – How much funds are available for projects like investment, expansion and others.

Seasonality/weather – Dynamic nature of demand for some particular items like woollen rugs.

POLITICAL FACTORS: The following factors affect the business in this industry. Any changes or improvements in the following may result in ease or difficulty.

Trading policies Fair trade practices – Paying accurate wages, salaries and prices of raw materials as well as sell original and authentic, good quality finished products on time to the end consumer at fair prices.

International pressure groups Inter country relationships – Negative or positive relationships with other countries will affect their buying behaviour as well as price negotiations.

LEGAL FACTORS: Legal laws and regulations of the country may positively or negatively impact the functioning of a business. In any case, the owners and workers must comply with these laws in order to function without hindrances in the long run Employment laws Environmental regulations Consumer protection ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Factors affecting the environment must be taken care of so that no harm is brought upon the people, animals, or planet through their operations.

Market values – Basic values and ethics followed in the market should be adhered to.

Environment protection – The operations of a business must not put the environment’s health in danger in any way.

Stakeholders' values – Owners’ morals and values reflect in the business and must positively impact it.

Management style – The management team and their efficiency is an important factor in considering the successful operation of a business.

WELFARE SCHEMES FOR HANDLOOM WEAVERS Government of India, Ministry of Textiles is implementing schemes to revive, promote and develop handlooms and handicrafts sectors in the country.

HANDLOOM SECTOR: 1. Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS) 2. National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) 3. Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) 4. Yarn Supply Scheme (YSS) HANDLOOM WEAVERS’ COMPREHENSIVE WELFARE SCHEME (HWCWS) Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS) is providing Life, accidental and disability insurance coverage to handloom weavers/workers under the components Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana(PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana(PMSBY) and Converged Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana(MGBBY).

'MAKE-IN-INDIA' PROGRAM FOR WEAVERS: Handloom weaving/production is inherently an integral part of Make-in-India programme.

The Government of India has announced a special economic package viz. Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan for boosting the economy of the country and making India self-reliant.

Relief and credit support measures have been announced for various sectors including MSMEs. The weavers & artisans/karigars can avail benefits of these relief and credit support measures to revive their businesses.

Apart from the above special economic package, the Ministry of Textiles has also been taking following initiatives for the benefits of handloom weavers and artisans across the country: 1. To support the handloom and handicraft sectors and to enable wider market for handloom weavers/artisans/producers, steps have been taken to on-board weavers/artisans on Government e-Market place (GeM) to enable them to sell their products directly to various Government Departments and organizations.

1. To promote e-marketing of handloom products, a policy framework was designed under which any willing e-commerce platform with a good track record can participate in online marketing of handloom products. Accordingly, 23 e-commerce entities have been engaged for on-line marketing of handloom products.

2. A social media campaign #Vocal 4 handmade was launched on the 6th National Handloom Day by the Government, in partnership with all stakeholders, to promote the handloom legacy of India and to ensure people’s support for the weaving community. The social media campaign has resulted in renewed interest of the Indian public in handlooms and several ecommerce players have reported increase in sales of Indian handloom products.

3. In the face of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, it is not feasible to hold conventional marketing events such as exhibitions, melas, etc. To deal with this crisis, the Government endeavors to provide online marketing opportunities to our weavers and handloom producers.

Taking a step towards realizing “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, Handloom Export Promotion Council has endeavored to virtually connect the Handloom Weavers and exporters from different corners of the country with the International Market.

With more than 200 participants from different regions of the country showcasing their products with unique designs and skills, THE INDIAN TEXTILE SOURCING FAIR was organized on 7, 10 and 11th August 2020. The show has attracted considerable attention from the International Buyers.

1. Design Resource Centres are being set up in Weavers Service Centres (WSCs) through NIFT with the objective to build and create design-oriented excellence in the Handloom Sector and to facilitate weavers, exporters, manufacturers and designers for creating new designs.

2. To enable the handloom agencies and weavers to withstand their profession, the Ministry of Textiles is implementing following schemes through the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms across the country:

National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS) Yarn Supply Scheme (YSS) Under the above schemes, financial assistance is provided for raw materials, purchase of looms and accessories, design innovation, product diversification, infrastructure development, skill upgradation, lighting units, marketing of handloom products and loan at concessional rates.

(I) NATIONAL HANDLOOM PROGRAMME (NHDP)

DEVELOPMENT

1. Block Level Cluster: Introduced in 2015-16 as one of the components of National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP).

Financial assistance upto Rs. 2.00 crore per BLC for various interventions such as skill upgradation, Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata, product development, construction of workshed, project management cost, design development, setting up of common facility centre (CFC) etc. is provided.

Besides, financial assistance upto Rs. 50.00 lakh is also available for setting up of one dye house at district level.

The proposals are recommended by the State Governments.

2. Handloom Marketing Assistance is one of the components of the National Handloom Development Programme. In order to provide a marketing platform to the handloom agencies/weavers to sell their products directly to the consumers, financial assistance is provided to the States/eligible handloom agencies for organizing marketing events in domestic as well as overseas markets.

3. Weaver MUDRA Scheme: Under the Weaver MUDRA Scheme, credit at concessional interest rate of 6% is provided to the handloom weavers.

Margin money assistance to a maximum of Rs. 10,000 per weaver and credit guarantee for a period of 3 years is also provided. MUDRA Portal has been developed in association with Punjab

National Bank to cut down delay in disbursement of funds for margin money and interest subvention.

Initiatives with various leading brands have been undertaken to bring out a separate range of handloom garments in their brand.

4. Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata (HSS): Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata (HSS) was introduced on 1st December 2016 with an objective to provide looms/accessories to the weavers to enhance their earnings through improved productivity and quality of the handloom products. Under the scheme, 90% of the cost of loom/accessory is borne by the Government of India while remaining 10% is borne by the beneficiary. The Government of India’s share is released to the supplier through Weavers’ Service Centre.

7. Urban Haats are set up in the big towns/metropolitan cities to provide adequate direct marketing facilities to the craft persons/weavers and eliminate intermediaries.

39 Urban Haats have been sanctioned across the country so far.

5. Education of handloom weavers and their children: The Ministry of Textiles has signed Memorandums of Understanding with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to secure educational facilities for the weavers and their families. NIOS offers Secondary and Senior Secondary level education with specialized subjects on design, marketing, business development, etc. through distance learning mode for handloom weavers, whereas IGNOU offers continuing education programs through accessible and flexible learning opportunities relevant to the aspirations of handloom weavers and their children for career progression.

The programme envisages reimbursement of 75% of the fee towards admission to NIOS/IGNOU courses in case of SC, ST, BPL, and Women learners belonging to handloom weavers’ families.

Handloom” Brand: During the 6. “India celebration of 7th August 2015 as National Handloom Day, ‘India Handloom’ Brand was launched for branding of high-quality handloom products. It promotes production of niche handloom products with high quality, authentic traditional designs with zero defect and zero effect on the environment.

Since its launch, 1590 registrations have been issued under 184 product categories and sales of Rs. 926.23 crore have been generated.

8. E-commerce: In order to promote e-marketing of handloom products, a policy framework was designed under which any willing e-commerce platform with a good track record can participate in online marketing of handloom products. Accordingly, 23 e-commerce entities have been engaged for on-line marketing of handloom products. A total sales of Rs.34.72 crore has been reported through the online portal as on 31-03-2019.

9. SantKabir Award is conferred to outstanding handloom weavers who are carrying on with the tradition and have made valuable contributions to the development of the sector. Since 2012 to 2016, 24 SantKabir Awards have been conferred to the handloom weavers.

10. National Award is conferred to handloom weavers in recognition of their outstanding craftsmanship contribution and development of handloom weaving.

This recognition encourages them to continue with the work in a more enthusiastic and productive manner. Since 2012 to 2016, National Awards have been conferred to 102 handloom weavers across the country.

From the year 2016, two SantKabir Awards, four National Awards and four National Merit Certificates awards have also been instituted exclusively to the women handloom weavers in addition to the existing SantKabir Awards, National Awards and National Merit Certificate in the field of weaving. This exclusive award to the women handloom weavers is named as ‘KamaladeviChattopadhyay - Awards’. 7 such awards were conferred to women handloom weavers during National Handloom Day celebrated at Jaipur on 7th August 2018.

(II) COMPREHENSIVE HANDLOOM CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT SCHEME: The Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) is targeted at development of Mega Handloom Clusters in clearly identifiable geographical locations covering at least 15000 handlooms with the Government of India (GoI) contribution upto Rs.40 crore per cluster over a period of 5 years.

Components such as conducting diagnostic study, corpus for raw material, etc., are fully funded by the Government of India (GoI) whereas components like lighting units, technological up-gradation of looms and accessories are 90% funded by the GoI. Other components such as creation of infrastructure for design studio/ marketing complex/garmenting unit, marketing development, assistance for exports and publicity are 80% funded by the GoI. 08 Mega Handloom Clusters viz.

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Sivasagar (Assam), Virudhunagar(Tamil Nadu), Murshidabad (West Bengal), Prakasam & Guntur districts (Andhra Pradesh), Godda & neighbouring districts (Jharkhand), Bhagalpur (Bihar) and Trichy (Tamil Nadu) have been taken up for development.

(III) HANDLOOM WEAVERS’ COMPREHENSIVE WELFARE SCHEME: Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme (HWCWS) is providing life, accidental and disability insurance coverage under the components Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Converged Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana (MGBBY).

(IV) YARN SUPPLY SCHEME: The Yarn Supply Scheme is being implemented throughout the country to make available all types of yarn at Mill Gate Price. The scheme is being implemented through National Handloom Development Corporation. Under the Scheme freight is reimbursed and depot operating charges @2% is given to depot operating agencies. A component of 10% price subsidy also exists on hank yarn, which is applicable on cotton, domestic silk, wool and linen yarn with quantity caps.

HANDICRAFTS SECTOR: National Handicraft Development Programme (NHDP) Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) (I) NATIONAL HANDICRAFT PROGRAMME (NHDP):

DEVELOPMENT

Baseline Survey & Mobilization of Artisans under Ambedkar Hastshilp VikasYojana The Scheme aims to promote Indian handicrafts by developing artisans’ clusters into professionally managed and self-reliant community enterprises on the principles of effective member participation and mutual cooperation.

Design & Technology upgradation (DTU) The Scheme aims to upgrade artisan’s skills through development of innovative designs and prototypes products for overseas market, revival of endangered crafts and preservation of heritage etc.

Human Resource Development (HRD) -The Scheme has been formulated to provide a qualified and trained workforce to the handicraft sector.

Direct Benefit to Artisans (DBA):The Scheme envisages welfare measures like Health and Life insurance, recognition, extending credit facilities, supply of modern tools and equipment to the artisans etc.

Infrastructure and Technology Support (ITS) The Scheme aims to develop world class infrastructure in the country to support handicraft production, and enhance the product quality and cost to enable it to compete in the global market.

Research and Development (R&D): The Scheme was introduced to conduct surveys and studies of important crafts and make indepth analysis of specific aspects and problems of Handicrafts in order to generate useful inputs to aid policy planning and fine tune the ongoing initiatives.

Marketing Support & Services (MSS): The Scheme was introduced to promote and provide financial assistance to artisans to participate in domestic and international craft exhibitions/seminars in metropolitan cities/state capitals / places of tourist or commercial interest/other places.

(II) COMPREHENSIVE HANDICRAFTS CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (CHCDS):

The above funds released to the implementing agencies as per the proposals initiated by them and utilization of the previously released funds.

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Rajya Sabha

1. Mega Cluster (MC): Mega cluster approach is a drive to scale up the infrastructural and production chain at Handicrafts clusters.

The prospects of this sector lie in infrastructural upgradation, modernization of the machinery and product diversification and Innovative manufacturing as well as, furthered by brand building of the native products hold the key to creating a niche market for the products manufactured by the clusters.

2. Special Projects under Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicraft(IDPH): The scheme was introduced to provide adequate infrastructure for production, value addition and quality assurance for handicrafts and to develop handicrafts as a sustainable and remunerative livelihood option for artisans in the state.

Budgetary allocation of funds is not made State-wise. However, indicative physical targets are allotted to States and funds are released based on viable proposals received and utilisation of previous funds.

Under the Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme and Yarn Supply Scheme, the funds are released to the implementing agencies i.e. LIC of India and NHDC respectively. The details of funds allocated and released/spent during the last three years is as under:

PROCESS & TECHNIQUES

Agra durries are simple rugs with varied designs either in single color or multiple colors, with simple geometric stripes or to exoctic motifs. There are three types of durries namely those made of cotton or jute or hemp, wool and waste cloth. All durries are woven in the weft-faced plain weave. The design is first sketched out on graph paper. The warps and wefts are laid by the master weaver into little rectangular bundles. A single weft bundle is inserted according to the design, and the proper coloured yarns are painstakingly woven line by line. For interlocking the two colours in the same row, a weft-faced plain with dovetail joins is used. After each line of weft is finished, the panja is used to tighten it. This technique is carried out till the design is finished. Excess weft threads are clipped, and the rug is washed and polished. Flowers, birds, reptiles, people, and pictorial designs are all common in this sort of durrie, as are blue and white stripes, uniformly repeated geometric motifs framed by simple borders, and flowers, birds, reptiles, people, and pictorial designs. Ply cotton yarn is used as the warp, and ply dyed wool yarn or worsted undyed wool yarn is used as the weft in woollen durries. Sorting the wool fleece by hand and separating it into colour and quality groups is critical. The durrie is woven in the weft-faced plain weave as above mentioned. All of the edges are cut, washed, and polished.

Chindi Durrie's warp is ply cotton yarn, and the weft is scrap or leather, jute, or waste cloth.

These woven fabric scraps are collected from markets across India and shredded into short 9inch strips. These durries are made on a horizontal ground loom with two wooden beams to which the warp threads are fastened.

Graph paper is used to create the designs. The vibrantly dyed chindi is placed into the warp according to the pattern required. Because the length is limited, another chindi is added, resulting in a double chindi on two or three warps. This procedure is done to ensure that no holes appear throughout the weaving process.

Chindi durries are gaining market appeal due to its innovative style, color and design.

TOOLS Panja: A metal comb like structure which enables the artisan to push the baana (wefts) together to create a more compact design. a metallic claw-like tool used to beat and set the threads in the warp.

Charkha: Wheel used to help artisan wind taana yarns (warp) to make spools.

Belan: Roller/Bobbin is a tool used to weave the baana (weft) yarns. It is made either of sal wood or bamboo, or increasingly a metal bellan is used as it's more durable.

Loom: The handloom is where the magic happens while weaving. Wooden looms are more common. There are 2 types of looms, vertical and horizontal. The vertical one is used for knotted carpets/rugs whereas the horizontal ones are used for flat weaving.

The number of people working on a loom depends on the size of the durrie and can range from 1 to 4 persons per loom. a. Khaddi: A Khaddi (Pit loom) is used by artisans tomake rugs. The loom is set on a pit and the artisans use pedals to weave. In comparison to handlooms, pit looms have a stronger base and are bigger in size. It is commonly used for flat-weaving rugs with no piles (but can also make chunky flat weave or shaggy carpets/durries). is done on flatlands and thus cannot be installed in the hilly areas of Fatehpur Sikri. There, looms for Panja durries are more prominent. b. Panja: The loom has a vertical frame made of two horizontal beams where the taana or warp yarns are fitted. The upper beam is movable and the two beams are tightened together by screw-chain method. The taana yarns are made into two layers through reeds.

RAW MATERIALS

PROCESS

In order to make quality products that are both elegant and durable, materials that are easy maintenance for daily use are used. Hence the most common material used for making durries is cotton yarns.Two or more kinds or yarns can be used to make durries depending on the desired look of the durrie. The most common raw materials are cotton, jute and wool for Panja durries. For Khaddi durries the most common raw materials are cotton, wool, jute, leather, rayon, faux fur, denim, hemp, etc. The chindi durries are made from scraps of leftover cloth which are bought from Surat, Gujarat. All the different yarns are spun on a wheel to make it more convenient for the artisan to use. The cotton is purchased from Delhi, Jaipur, Pali, Surat. Denim is sourced from Delhi. Jute mainly comes from Kolkata. The raw materials are either sourced by artisans themselves or provided to them by the export houses they work for.

PRE-PRODUCTION PREPARATION: The pre production stage has several processes like dyeing, spinning and setting the loom.

DYEING:

The yarns are sourced either by the weaver or given by the buyer/exporter. They are either pre-dyed and given to the weaver to start the process or dyed by the artisan at the dyeing facility. The yarns are dyed, according to the design, color and motif details of the end product desired. The dyeing process is dependent on the type of yarn, i.e., cotton, woolen, polyester, etc. To dye cotton yarns, the yarns are boiled in big pools of water and dye hue pigment. The yarns are hand-dyed in large vessels with pigment or azo dyes in desired colors. There is a spinning wheel that ensures uniform coverage. The dyed yarns are then sundried in large open areas.

WARPING:

The yarns, in hank form, are wound around bobbins with a charkha. The yarns are spun on a charkha to form smaller spools of yarn and convert into linear form. This is generally done by the womenfolk. Another simultaneous process (warping) is forming the taana or the warp yarn. It helps form a linear form to give length to the fabric. It is done on a drum like machine called the taana machine which also helps to calculate the number of threads and the length of the warp yarn. The thread rolls are arranged on a vertical ram according to the desired color combination. The treads from this fram, passing through another smaller grid, are wound up on an octangular drum. Once the process is complete, the thread wound cylinder is given to the weaver to set the loom.

The chindi yarns (fabrics) are cut to produce uniform yarns and to reduce knots or any kind of derangement. The taana yarns or the warp yarns are prepared this way. The process takes upto a day or two. It is ensured that there’s sufficient spun yarns in order to prevent any hindrance in the weaving process.

SETTING UP THE LOOM: The warps are stretched onto two beams. Each individual warp yarn is passed through the headle. The distance between two warps are defined by the design and the quality of the yarn. The yarns then go through the reeds and tied on both the ends to the loom. The looms are set up according to the desired design. The weavers prepare the loom with the predetermined number of warps (taana) for the loom through which the yarns would be woven, This depends on the type of design and the material of the yarn, i.e. distance between 2 cotton taana yarns is approx. 3mm whereas the jute taanas are placed at further distance.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS:

The weaving is done by 1 or 4 weavers according to the size of the durrie. The lifting order is studied well according to the design before the weaving starts. Weaving in the khaddi looms is done through toggling the pedals. These pedals pick the headles according to design and create a shed. The pedals are there to lift the yarns. The more intrinsic the design, the more pedals on the loom; the pedals range from 4-8. If there is no design, the weave is plain weave. Once the shed is created, the weaver manually inserts the baana or the weft yarns through the naav(shuttle). Once these weft yarns are laid, they are beaten by the reed to prepare the finished fabric. The durries can be of single color, white, with intricate patterns, or completely plain and digitally printed later. In Panja loom, a small section of warp yarns are picked out manually by the weaver and then the weft are inserted. Once the entire row is finished laying the weft it is beaten by the panja instead of the reed.

POST PRODUCTION: After weaving, the woolen durries are washed.

The durries are searched for any loose threads or uneven ends that are clipped off. This generally takes 15-20min per durrie and is done mostly by women. Antique wash finish is then done on some durries as per clients' requirement.

PACKAGING: The label of the brand is put on durries before packing.

The durries are rolled either individually or in bundles and are then wrapped in a plastic cover. The details of the buyer and order details are pasted on each package. They are stored in dry places.

S. Mehrajuddin Age- 36 years Qualifications- Graduate Mr. Mehrajuddin started his own business named Alia international in 2018 with his 30 years of family background in rugs and carpets.

The business is purely export-based and the major markets areGeorgia, the USA, Germany, Greece, and England. Some other Local markets for the craft include Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi, and some other metros. The busiest months for his enterprise are November to March as usually the order from abroad is placed in November and delivery is expected in March. He has 2 units- one for confidential orders, the other for general production and has a total of 17 active artisans, and 18 looms in all.

Siraj Age- 45 Qualifications - 5th pass Mr. Siraj is a master craftsman with 28 years of experience in durries and carpet weaving. His family has been involved in the making of Panja Durries for generations.He previously worked for Khadi Gandhi Ashram for 20 years and has experience in cotton and jute. He has a daily wage of around 400/- for a 12-hour shift from 6 am to 6 pm. And his monthly income is approximately between Rs. 8000 to Rs. 10000. Family members- 8, only 2 children (sons) are being educated in govt school.

His family is involved in the craft too. The women( wife and daughters) of the family are usually involved in thread cutting. And his oldest son is involved in the Duri and carpet weaving craft.

Sahid Age- 28 years Qualifications- 8th pass Shahid is a contractual weaver working with export firm Ceejay International at present. The Types of Duri manufactured are Cotton, Jute mostly along with Hemp, Flax, Leather, etc. His family comprises 10 members, all involved directly or indirectly in the craft.

His father, brother, and he himself are directly involved in the Duri craft. He has experience of 20 years in weaving and his family has been involved in the craft for more than 40 years now. A total of 5-6 weavers work collaboratively around the year on orders on contractual basis assignments from factories and exporters in a 9 hours shift from 8 am-5 pm. They collect their raw material from the factory and submit the completed order to the factory itself.

Investment and capital requirements major roadblocks to starting their own work.

ARTISAN

Saed Age- 56+ Qualifications- Uneducated Mr. Saed (Shahid's Father) has 38 years of experience as an independent contractual weaver owning a unit of 10-12 looms and 6-8 weavers. He himself started this business and manufactures only Durries. He presently works for Ceejay International. High Investments, capital requirements, and Risk of failure are the major roadblocks to starting their own work. Other than weaving durries he also trains people to learn the skill. Many trainees who learned from him working with him today. His family consists of 9 members.

Jagdeesh Age- 52 years Qualifications- Postgraduate Mr. Jagdeesh, a native of Agra, has experience of over 30 years in the Weaving industry. He belongs to the Koli community, the traditional weaver group. His family has been in the same craft for generations and his Uncle was a president awardee for the same. His family consists of 5 members, including his wife and 3 kids. His eldest son is in the Duri craft and is a graduate with 5 years of experience. Approximately 100 weavers worked with him for Duri making in 3 units, 1 in Fatehpur Sikri and 2 in Agra- having 50-60 looms and a dyeing house. He is also involved in multiple handicrafts around the year for additional income especially since covid, like Moodha making, zari-zardozi, wooden butterfly chair, wall hangings and metal handicraft work.

Rashid Age- 38 years Qualifications- 9th pass With an experience of 20 years, Rashid is an independent Duri weaver and manufacturer and runs the Akhtar Baano label in the name of national awardee Mother. Currently due to disruptions in business because of Covid, carpet weaving is not operational. He has 8-10 functional looms and around 25-30 active weavers, working an 11 hrs shift from 8 am to 7 pm.

His family has 5 members consisting of his 2 kids, mother, his wife, and himself. They have a very critical financial condition for the last 2 years due to no or very little business since the first lockdown. His wife is a zardozi artisan and his Mother has 50 years of experience in weaving and is a national awardee for the same. Some of his extended family is also involved in this business. He is mainly involved in local businesses and sells his goods mainly to wholesalers in Jaipur and local traders of Agra.

PROFILES

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of the undertaken case study activity on the allotted craft cluster of Agra Durrie Industry based out of Fatehpur Sikri, Agra is to conduct a thorough and extensive researchoriented supply-chain and value chain analysis for the aforementioned craft cluster for the purpose of need-gap identification in order to explore, understand and assess the existing potential and scope of the craft along with the present proficiencies and capabilities of the production facilities and resources. Along with this, the study takes into consideration the current infrastructure scenario, existing market linkages and institutions, technological integration, and other resources involved in the chain. Moreover, to achieve this objective, the team has taken into account systematic and sequential mapping of activities in the entire chain besides exploring the concerned key stakeholders, relationship, market, and infrastructural analysis. Also, the economic and technological aspects of the craft industry have been tried to be critically examined with the amalgamation of primary and secondary research. Extensive discussions with artisans, proprietors and craftsmen brought great insights for the team to understand the requirements, issues, challenges and opportunities associated with the craft and business that put forth cues to identify and explore gaps that exist in the linkages across the chain and based on that the possible interventions were assessed to come up with the realistic and viable plan to resolve the issues and contribute in value addition to the existing trade. Through this case study, there has been an attempt to bring forth a solid intervention plan that is progressive, inclusive development-oriented, and outlines pathways to achieve better integration in the craft cluster operations and trade. Moreover, it also outlines the measures that can be adopted to build better resiliency within the industry and artisans, besides building and strengthening better linkages with markets through a focus on skill, capacity building, and infrastructural development in order to achieve next-level establishment of the business process and to redefine and reinvent the craft and its marketing to cater to the requirements and trends of the modern contemporary clientele, both international as well as domestic.

INTRODUCTION: The modern durrie craft industry of Agra and its trade, the way it exists today is comparatively a recent establishment of over 40 years that started in an organized fashion but under the control and influence of the informal sector.

Ever since the craft has witnessed several ups and downs in the journey of evolution and the development and production of contemporary Agra Durrie started not before the dawn of the 21st century. This new chapter in the craft history of Agra dhurries and rugs has brought it to the mark where it stands today, both at an international and national level, but the accomplishments are apparently far less than expected over the course of time and it goes without saying that there exist several strong reasons behind this less fame. Regardless of the extremely unique and fine nature of the Agra durrie craft, which makes it remarkably stand out globally in the sector and receiving Geographical Indication (GI) tag by GOI in 201213, The craft cluster has barely managed to flourish to the desired levels that it should have which is also accredited to lack of highly skilled workforce in absence of much-needed skill development and training programmes that bring them up to express their creativity in innovative ways. Besides employment, wages, poor health infrastructure of Fatehpur Sikri region, water scarcity, and water-borne diseases in the belt have pushed a lot of trained and skilled artisans to either give up the craft themselves or restrict their descendants from pursuing it. However, having said that, Agra Durrie is an age-old product that is socioculturally associated with the producer and bears a generational legacy in terms of design and technique of production which has been inherited over time by successors.

BACKGROUND:

Indian Handmade Carpet Industry is Highly Labour Intensive and provides employment to over 20 Lakhs workers/ artisans especially women directly or indirectly in the rural areas.

Most of the artisans/ weavers employed are from the weaker section of the Society and this trade provides extra and alternate occupation to them including farmers and others at their homes.

India exports 85-90% of its total Carpet production.

The Indian Handmade Carpet Industry has been ranked number one in the international handmade carpet market both in terms of value and volume, over the years.

Agra durrie craft cluster is predominantly based in the Fatehpur Sikri region of Agra, a city on the bank of the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. lt also finds mention in the epic Mahabharata where it was called Agrevana or 'the border of the forest. Agra Durrie is a traditional hand-woven textile product. The sector derives its strength in a large segregated production base of basic raw materials, presence across the entire value chain, availability of a relatively inexpensive and skilled workforce, and design expertise.

Historically, The producers of these textiles used to provide the artistic work to the products by using very few manufacturing instruments but with the artistic mind and intellectuality received from their forefathers as Agra Durrie making has been a hereditary occupation. For the realization of the vision, the craftsman needs peaceful conditions, easy availability of the materials, and active encouragement and appreciation. When the generational legacy interacts with the innovativeness of each and every generation associated with the product, it gives rise to the development of new designs and attractive products. Agra has been known for use of natural vegetable dyes in durrie craft.

In the past, many colors were used in a durrie which was produced with natural dyes. These natural dyes were usually prepared in the weavers' own houses. However presently most of the weavers prefer using synthetic direct dyes and use mainly two or three colors of natural origin. Selection and acquisition of the selected right raw materials and to make them fit for use are the most crucial and unique aspects of Agra durrie craft, with regard to techniques and process, that makes it remarkably outstand from contemporaries in the industry.

The demographic distribution of the weavers and artisans has been depicted here pictorially.

Two major communities in Fatehpur Sikri are Hindus and Muslims. The former constitutes 76.82 per cent of the total population while the latter accounts for 22.86 per cent.

The Fatehpur Sikri Nagar Palika Parishad has a population of 32,905 of which 17,392 are males while 15,513 are females as per report released

by Census India 2011.

Out of the total population, 10,082 were engaged in work or business activity. Of this 8,245 were males while 1,837 were females. In census surveys, a worker is defined as a person who does business, job, service, and cultivator and labour activity.

Of the total 10082 working population, 72.30 % were engaged in Main Work while 27.70 % of total workers were engaged in Marginal Work.

The Exports of carpets from India stood at $1.37 billion in 2020 The Indian handmade carpet exports has grown by a CAGR of 4.3% between 20132017 Because of the growing “Make in India” initiatives the local demand for these carpets have been increasing within India as well as globally among 70 other countries The investment required to set this business is ₹5 lakh – INR 10 lakhs The profits from this carpet making business is INR 50000-INR 100000 per month

RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT: Why does Agra durrie have a poorly established domestic market in comparison to the International base?

The approach of the team for the current case study is based on a thorough analysis of relevant facts and figures collected through primary and secondary research and a balanced purview of the available resources, substantiated by statistical data and first hand information gathered with the valuable inputs of the artisans to propose specialised and specifically targeted solutions for the underlying issues and challenges encountered by the craft people that are of course actionable points and can be translated practically on ground to assist them in changing the scenario and increasing not just their profit margins but also the market share for the less popular Agra durrie cluster, specially on the domestic front where lies huge potential for establishment and expansion of this craft but which is undoubtedly less explored by the concerned people in the trade on account of lack of strategic planning and innovation, inefficient management, low awareness levels of responsible stakeholders and other associated challenges pertaining to market dynamics and infrastructure. As the study is conducted absolutely remotely on a virtual platform, so the limitation posed by lack of physical exposure to the environment and firsthand experiences has been tried to be compensated best by the extensive secondary research conducted by the team and all due efforts have been made to ensure that the authenticity and credibility of the report and case study are not compromised or negatively influenced on account of resource crunch and exposure constraints. Of course, the lack of personal interactions and physical meetings with the artisans and traders somewhere restricted the team to bring out the maximum of details and deep insights from telephonic conversations for obvious reasons but nonetheless, the good quantum of photographs and visuals like video recordings have assisted the team.

FINDINGS:

In terms of the supply chain, the Agra Durrie craft is composed of three categories of players, viz, (a) Trader/entrepreneur/exporter, (b) master weavers /weaver entrepreneurs and (c) Weaver worker. The trader/entrepreneur/exporter is one, who may or may not be a weaver. He may or may not engage himself in production and manufacturing. Apparently. He collects products from others and sells those either through his own enterprise or to others who have showrooms, are retailers or own other business houses. For this activity, the trader invests capital and bears the risk associated with the business. Whereas A master weaver/weaver entrepreneur is one who is a producer himself, makes the product either himself or supervising family labour and /or hired labour. He sells the goods fully or partly himself. He might sell a part to intermediaries, ie, the trader/entrepreneurs. He invests capital to achieve this purpose and, therefore, is considered an entrepreneur. On the other hand, a weaver worker is one who sets his labour and skill to earn wages either on a daily/monthly or piece-rate basis. He does not invest any capital but may use his own tools, which are not monetarily valuable. All these stakeholders play a significant role in the process of production and marketing of the product. While doing this, In the process of production, the producers are also maintaining the authenticity of designs and ethnicity of the product by not employing child labour either in the process of production or distribution of the products. This ensures the practice of fair trade in the craft. Likewise in the process of dyeing, the dyers/manufacturers are also taking care of both health and environmental aspects by dumping the wastewater in the predetermined method.

Special measures and care are taken by the producers for dissolving the waste products and waste dyed waters, so as to avoid environmental damage or at least mitigate it.

Further with the growing demand pattern and easy accessibility of the product in the markets, the stakeholders are now facing the threat of originality and infringement. The large traders from other countries and even producers of belts like Panipat, Haryana are producing counterfeit

Fig. The Value Chain Analysis

durries that are mechanically manufactured with sub-standard inputs and selling them in the name of Agra Durrie. As such, the original Agra Durrie producers are losing a substantial part of the market share besides their livelihood.

Unfortunately, This is growing unchecked over the recent years irrespective of the requisite legal protection grant along with protection under the Geographical Indication (Gl) Act, 1999, issued in 2013. This traditional hand-woven textile product of the country is no less than a national heritage. lt has also contributed immensely to the economic development of the artisans associated with the process of production and marketing of the product along with enhanced revenues for the country from Exports. One of the major observations revealed on account of interactions with stakeholders is the stronger and resilient exchange of value between Agra craft cluster and foreign clientele from International markets in comparison to local and domestic markets. Moreover, The advantage gained by the International clientele is accredited to their fair dealings on downpayment cash transactions for business and the trust laid in the local artisans and small traders involved in the business for authenticity, the exclusivity of designs, confidentiality, ownership, and genuine pricing. This certainly is a major miss when it comes to outreach and expansion in the local and domestic markets, as the transactions are on a credit basis leading to a lot of debt. Long-term pending payments come at huge costs to marginal workers and traders suffering from liquidity crunch throughout.

Besides this, the growing popularity and demand of domestic cheaper counterfeits like from Panipat, made in China imported stuff and much more cheap and trendy products from centers like Jaipur and South India, that are more agile and fast adopters of innovation in the craft are posing competitive rivalry and market share threats to the traditional Agra durrie craft and are eventually restricting its growth potential and challenging its outreach and expansion in the Indian markets.

The carpet industry in India is one of the oldest and well-established regionalized sectors employing over two million weavers. The industry has been thriving since the 16th century. India is one of the largest handmade carpet producers and exporters in the world. As a matter of fact, almost 90 per cent of the carpets produced in India are exported. Indian carpets are known for exclusive design, attractive colours and quality. Indian carpets have an outstanding demand in the international market.

Earlier, there were a few carpet weaving centres.

Carpet weaving centres have gradually spread across northern India due to the availability of resources and several other historical reasons.

The major carpet manufacturing centres are Agra, Jaipur, Srinagar, Danapur and Bhadohi. In the past few decades, Panipat has also emerged as another major centre for carpet production.

Carpets and rugs are used for their visual appeal and functional properties in homes, offices and public institutions. It provides a protective layer to floors. In predominantly cold regions, carpets and rugs are used to give warmth. Until a few years back, the demand for carpets was highest in developed countries. The top five leading countries in carpet imports from India have been the US, UK, Germany, Canada, France and Japan.

The US and Germany are two dominating countries in the carpet import market. However, with globalization, new opportunities are opening up for carpet exports to different countries. Market-wise segregation shows that the German market has a high demand for low to medium quality (Persian and Nepali) carpets in the ratio of 40:50 while demand for high-quality carpets is reportedly diminishing. In the lowquality carpets (under 50 knots per square inch) segment, Nepal dominates the German market followed by India. The medium quality carpets (between 50 to 300 knots per square inch) section is dominated by Iran followed by India.

The carpet market in the US is dominated by India followed by China, Pakistan and other countries. Here, the demand for medium to highquality carpets dominates in the proportion 60:20 ratio. Considering this, the Indian carpet industry is facing tough competition from China, Nepal and Pakistan.

Indian carpets are exported to more than 100 countries and the major share of about 55 percent goes to the US. In 2013-14, hand-made carpets worth US$ 1,037 million were exported in total. There is a huge demand for Indian carpets especially in developed countries which capture 88-90 percent of carpet exports. The two largest markets for Indian carpets are the US and Germany which account for 76 percent of total exports. Apart from the other developed nations, there are few developing nations that account for the remaining share.

With the passage of time, consumer preferences have changed in terms of price, design, and material. Nowadays, consumers prefer cotton carpets that are washable and affordable. The ecommerce and home furnishing industries are flourishing. However, the future of the Indian carpet industry is still unpredictable. Despite being one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of carpets across the world, the demand for hand-made carpets has fallen. On one hand, there is a high demand for the finest silk carpets in the overseas market just as we see a dip in demand for exclusive carpets in the domestic market. This has pushed the industry to move towards modern and fashionable carpets which are easy to maintain and affordable.

Indian handmade carpets are battling it out with machine-made carpets from developed countries. According to Aditya Wattal (HeadBusiness Development (Southern & Central Europe) of Chinar International) colourful cotton

silk carpets and rugs in bright colors are in huge demand in America. The carpets are produced keeping in mind the consumer preferences.

Construction work in developing nations is on the rise. This has fuelled the demand for floorand wall-coverings.

Most of the segments like woven carpets, tufted carpets, and others are witnessing a rise in demand, which is expected to create a favorable situation for the carpet and rug industry in the future. Opportunities for the carpet industry lie in developing innovative technology and research. Also, using environment-friendly materials in manufacturing carpets and rugs will give another opportunity that can attract consumers.

International trade fairs are an excellent platform to showcase industry innovations, creative designs, and new materials and an opportunity to get in touch with international leaders.

The apex body of exporters of carpets and floor covering in India is known as Carpets Export Promotion Council (CEPC). It provides support to exporters with financial help, recognizing new markets, sponsoring participation in events organized globally, solving trade disputes, and arranging buyer and seller meetings.

Millions of weavers worldwide work day and night and have perfected the art of making carpets. The carpet industry is going through a major transition. Although traditional markets are growing saturated, new markets are offering growth opportunities. Customer preference is changing and there is no one kind of buyer. The traditional carpet business does not work any longer. Modern patterns and low-end carpets are a new attraction. So, product mapping and regard for customer preference will power the future growth of the industry.

The carpet industry is both export-oriented and labor-intensive. Besides generating foreign exchange, this industry provides employment to many people. Aditya Wattal, Head- Business Development (Southern & Central Europe) of Chinar International said, "There is a huge demand for carpet and rugs in European countries. Besides, we also get orders from the domestic market but the numbers are less when compared to overseas demand."

RECOMMENDATIONS: Technology intervention backed by sustainability will be the primary factor for growth opportunities in India.

The marketing strategy that can be implemented by your carpet making business is tie-ups with interior designers and contractors Target consumers in the domestic market in order to increase the reach and gain share in the Indian market would be as follows: Cinema halls: The cinema halls, multiplexes and theatre halls, etc also require carpets of high pile material to give them an appeal while making it comfortable for the audience to enjoy their experience while they are at it Households: These require carpets to make their living room and bedrooms look more decorative for the purpose of maintaining a safe environment or flooring for children to play.

Commercial offices: The huge modern and contemporary offices spaces make use of carpets for the purpose of adding an organized and aesthetic element to give the place more of an appeal usually in cabins, conference rooms, corridors, etc Religious places Hotels and restaurants: These require carpets for decorative purposes to give the place an appeal usually for the entrances and sometimes to embed flooring with carpets to give an afghani or Mughal vibe.

Meditation centers: Carpets are also used in certain meditation centers which requires people to perform floor meditational exercises and practices to give them an authentic experience The luxury carpet industry in India: Almost 90% of carpets manufactured in India are exported.

However, there is a rise in the luxury consumer in the country due to a rise in the disposable income and purchasing power of the consumers. This presents an opportunity for the Indian carpet industry to tap into this market and take accurate advantage in order to create market share in the luxury lifestyle goods sector in India.

Design Innovation: The carpet industry has ample scope, talent, resources, and market to remain competitive by remodelling and redesigning this lifestyle product into a different pattern/design to appeal to the modern/contemporary buyer of today. Since the customers of this generation and this era are well informed and aware and make intelligent purchase decisions, they want to buy products that align with their design aesthetic and modern trends. In order to attract such customers, the carpet industry can incorporate contemporary designs, create fusion wear, and other design innovations.

CONCLUSION: It is indeed absolutely no exaggeration to mention that the Agra Duri Craft is very interesting, thought provoking and intricate piece of one of its kind traditional craft of India that has a lot to express and represent as a pillar of the great socio-cultural craft heritage of India. The report speaks volumes about the grandeur and enriching journey of the craft from its historic inception to where it stands today. The way forward is definitely full of glorious milestones to be touched by the craft but this needs holistic and integrated interventions throughout the craft chain at all levels and in every stage of it. The proposed solutions in the case study are exactly targeted to help the craft cluster achieve this by adopting the right strategic planning and modern-day methodologies in order to take the craft glory to an altogether next level of contemporary excellence and finesse that can fetch it the due recognition, fame and market share. The prerequisites essentially are to look into the existing scenario to reinvent and redefine the scope, expansion potential, and a vast number of untapped growth opportunities to achieve the required momentum of progress ahead. To sum it up all in a nutshell, the team through this meticulously curated research report and case study has tried to fulfil its commitment towards bringing out a comprehensive and specialized report document on Agra durrie craft and industry, with the best of its abilities maintaining the authenticity of the work. Hopefully, this credible reference work may turn out as a one-stop detailed study on the Agra craft cluster.

ANNEXURE 1 Day-1- 17/05/2021 location - Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, U.P. Mr. Mehrajuddin, Alia International.

Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s and Mughal India’s second Capital- became the centre of origin for one-of-its kind duri and carpet manufacturing in the 16th century period and was taught to Kashmiris by the masters of his kingdom, Fatehpur Sikri is situated 40 kms. Away from Agra.

Dhuries were made for soldiers of Mughal dynasty and it started from there as a traditional handicraft.There are healthcare infrastructure issues about the place. The new age modern duri making industry in Agra is about 40 years old, engaging 1000+ workers today.

Historically in Agra there were around 10000 workers and almost every household was involved. Wool carpet manufacturing takes place 40kms away from Fatehpur Sikri.

Age-36 years, A graduate well-versed in spanish language (2005 course) Started own business in 2018, before that was engaged in the family business of marble handicraft (merchant trading and exporter). He has 2 units- one for confidential orders, Other for general production, which is situated in a alleviated area called Pahad, which has water scarcity issues and municipal supply is provided only on alternate days. His Unit has around 17 artisans, all are active and 18 looms in all.30 years of family background in rugs and carpets.He has old parents and 7 siblings - 2 married and 2 unmarried sisters, 1 brother who is proficient in chinese language 2019 returned from China after education and working as tour guide before covid hit. His Cousins are also involved in this business. His family has 10 members. He has 3 daughters and 1 son, all studying and girls are in St. Peters School.He wants to promote good and higher education for his children, and their cousins and the upcoming generations.Willing to promote and upscale this craft and the skill set to the next level. Has membership documentation from bodies like ICE, CEPC, EPCH, CO, ITCO etc. This provides him with a marketing platform to connect with buyers.EPC provides the opportunity for B2B fairs organised in Noida, Delhi, Mumbai for upscale and expanding outreach. Mr. Mehraj has an archive of designs 40 years old.

Material-cutting-weaving Material-washing-dyeing-yarn-loom-process Panja- weaving tool Rugs- 1) Panja- jute, cotton and denim- loom is heavy and the product is of superior quality.

Duri is thicker and purely jute based 2) Khaddi- wool- loom is lightweight- mix fabric and any stuff could be used, the product is lighter and comparatively rough.

3) Leather- exclusive to Fatehpur Sikri 20 Number is very good quality of rugs made of cotton.

Raw material comes from Pali, Rajasthan; Surat, Gujarat, ; Thread- Panipat, Haryana; JuteKolkata, Denim-Delhi Usually the order from abroad is placed in November and the delivery is expected in March.

Major markets- Georgia, USA, Germany, Greece, England Other Local markets for the craft- Jaipur, Mumbai, Delhi and some other metros.

Purely export Business. Expectations to join Trade Fairs and fests to increase outreach and building buyer networking.

Carpets- 1) Hand Knotted- wool (takes quite long durations to be prepared)- more the knots better the quality.

2) Hand Tufted- machine is used.

3) Handwoven- Material is provided.

Kashmir silk carpets- most fine and intricate work-least knotting per sq inch (800-900 knots) on an average. Mirzapur and Bhadoi work is hand tufted and machine based and is more expensive quality and more intricate than Agra.

Agra duri and carpets- less prices, more demand. Uses are as floor coverings, pet mats, beach mats mainly.Jute rugs are maximum in demand. Cotton rugs work throughout the year and are cheap. Designs are different at each place. Bhadoi has more wool work than Agra, which is mainly the centre of manufacturing for Jute, leather, cotton rugs and carpets.

India is the second largest exporter of Rugs and carpets after Turkey in the world. USA is the largest importer of Indian duri and carpets, followed by UK, UAE, Europe, China, South Africa, Argentina, Netherlands etc. Lifespan of a good carpet/duri could be upto 30-40 years depending on handling, care and maintenance. Skin friendly non hazardous good quality and fast colours are used in the dyeing process.

Duration in preparing any order depends on size, design and number of pieces. Basic pieces get ready in 1 day also.Standard size most in demand- 4*6 - 180*120 cms. On an average 1 order based on quantity gets prepared in 30-45 days. Thread cost nowadays- 80/90 to 120 per kg. Most expensive raw material is Jute- 150/160 per kg. Average order size is 100-500 pieces. Rates for Agra Duri are 35, 55, 100 per sq ft usually. Carpets- 700 to 1000/sq ft. 2 rupees profit per sq ft reported. Annual turnover- about 5 lakhs. Bulk orders are usually of 50000 to 5 lakh worth.

Mr. Siraj, master craftsman with 28 years of experience.

Family work for generations- Panja Duri.

Previously he worked for Khadi Gandhi Ashram. 20 years loom experience in cotton, jute Family members- 8, only 2 children (sons) are being educated in govt school. Family involved in the craft, all the women involved in thread cutting including wife and daughters. One son involved in the duri and carpet weaving.Daily wage- around 400/- after a 12 hour shift from 6am to 6 pm.Monthly income- 8 to 10 K.Previously received the medical coverage @1000/per month for nuclear families which has stopped now. Cutting of thread and fabric produces fine dust that causes stomach problems.

Only 20-22 productive days of work in a month, 8 days are wasted in the process of setting yarn on the loom and associated arrangements.This includes straightening the yarn, bringing in bales, through a wheel and lifting and arranging it up on a roller called Belan.

Mr. Shahid, contractual weaver working with export firms these day with Ceejay International 28 years old, 1 son -3 months old, 10 members in the family, all involved in direct or indirect work in the craft. 3 males (himself, brother and father) directly involved in duri craft. 8th pass, 20 years experience, 40 plus years family involvement in the craft. His father started.

Family income- 10-12 K per month. Rental property-workshop- 35*40 plot-4000 rent per month.

Types of duri manufactured- Cotton, Jute mostly along with Hemp, Flax, Leather etc. sourcing raw material in wholesale. 5-6 weavers working collaboratively round the year on orders on contractual basis assignments from factories and exporters. 10-15 people work on one order, in about 1 month's time depending upon order size. 9 hours shift (8am-5pm). 4-5 metres of productivity by each skilled weaver in a day. Raw material coming from Jaipur, Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Panipat, Surat. Investment and capital requirements are major roadblocks to start their own work. Yarn is cotton based. 1 design is made at multiple locations depending on order size. Previously 4 pedal looms were used and now 6-8 pedals.

Major market- Panipat, Bhadohi, Jaipur, Delhi, Mumbai. Organization worked previously under Nagar Sikri Chaar Hissa but is not operational any more.Usual sizes- 2*3 ft. Bulk orders are prepared ranging from 500-10000 pieces of each design. Average order size- 40 to 100 pieces usually. Duration for preparation- 15-45 days. Daily wages for weavers are usually around 200-400 per day on the basis of skill and productivity.

ANNEXURE 2 Day-2- 18/05/2021 Mr. Mehrajuddin He owns property for 2 offices at Agra alongwith 2 work units and his own accomodation.

Aspirations and plans for business upscale through factory setup and turning proprietorship into private limited firm for the purpose of employment generation for 1000-1200 weavers and artisans and also to contribute in their social development and welfare.Raw material is brought in cash with advance payments as well. Wages are according to per metre dury and intricacy of design crafted. Deflation/Inflation directly affects the business quantum, work and productivity and cash flows as supply of raw materials gets reduced. Direct competitionEntry of power looms in Panipat producing similar kinds of stuff in look in much faster time and large quantities. So wishing to upgrade to Power looms for higher productivity.

Mostly in demand in carpets and duri is hand knotted (expensive) and handwoven (cheaper).

Dyeing unit is situated in the outskirts and production unit is in residential area as its a nonhazardous industry.women are paid as per kg of work done with fabric and cloth for wages and they are rarely involved in weaving process and are given the same wages as per him for same amount of work as paid to males. Specific dyeing is done as per client requirement. Jute rugs are the fastest selling product. Rollers (Belan) were previously wooden based (salwoodwhich is very expensive these days) which used to be cheap but not durable, so now using iron/metal rollers which have a life of 5-6 years. Weather affects work as winter fog reduces the productivity, no dyeing possible, thus looking forward to technology and resources like heaters and boilers for fast drying of dyed stuff in winters.

Big exporters are a roadblock to growth and hindrance to flourish more as they act as middleman and take major margins away (20-25%) and don't pay the price worth. They are basically resellers who use their brand and logo to market his original products. MSME office management- highly ignorant- RCSE favors selective agents choosing biased entries for schemes. Artisan cards which should be made free of cost are being charged for 300-400/per card. Full of corruption at all levels. Operating costs including overhead expenses are around 30000 to 35000 per month including electricity, water, transportation. E-commerce tried on Etsy and ebay but transportation cost is a roadblock. Also has an instagram page with the name alia international but needs an IT team and people to handle this full-time.

Standard sizes for duri are 60*90 cm, 90*150, 120*150 and 180cm. Khadi bhandar and Gandhi Ashram orders are by Farz criteria- sizes are 8*12, 10*15 etc.

6 trips to China to participate in FEO fairs as merchant exporter for Brass HandicraftsComparison with chinese market- Govt takes the whole responsibility and creating demand for mass production and boundless manufacturing is allowed. Duri and carpet costing- wool duri- 35 and 500 per sq. ft. silk- 1000 per sq.ft, normal rugs (chindi rugs)- 30 to 35 per sq.ft. number of people involved- 1 person in 4*6 size, 2 persons in each 2*3, 6*9, 6*12 sizes.process- wool- washing after production-extra leftover threads are burnt-clipping of extra threads. Jute duri finishing- no washing to safeguard the colour but only clipping.

Packaging- according to sales and requirement of the buyer- tagging is done-double packaging of plastic sheet and coir rug is used and standing rolls are packed. The thread/yarn quality governs the life, shine and and other aspects of a good duri and carpet.

20 No. duri has a lifespan of 20-25 years at least as the yarn is very roughly knotted and is very strong. Besides this thread no. 4*2, 3*6, 6 no. is considered very nice. In silk duri and carpet, both thread and base are of silk whereas in Jute duri- the thread is both cotton and wool, both single and mixed.Chemicals are not used in dry-cleaning as it will bleach colours rather spot washing is done at selective zones.

Finishing is done by ladies at home. THis takes around 15-20 mins per piece of simple average type. New trend- wool-jute duri and jute-cotton duri -light weight, fine intricate look and costing is less and weaving is heavy. EPCH, CEPC, and in ECGC scheme- credit facility eligibility is examined and facilitated by the govt. 3*5=15 ft duri wholesale price 90/- per sq ft=1350/- on the basis of Thread cost, dye, raw material, weaving, finishing and profit.

Quality check is done by managers/ muneems. Every 5-7 looms has 1 manager to control and supervise. Storage of raw materials is done in rooms meant for the purpose on sites. Panja duri - beautiful and strong weaving used as floor coverings, entrance mats, yoga mats etc. It is not washed during finishing. Instagram page- @indianrugsmanufacturer (Alia International). Optimistic about the craft and export business because of the best handwork done in India, though China has better quality but not handwork. Indian markets- payment issues and a lot of debt and credit. Middle man (the agents and resellers, large exporters) are the major barriers to growth. Very bright future in the international market. wants generations after him to continue the legacy, considers the skill far better than less paid highly qualified jobs in cities.

Mr. Saed Age-56 or so, 38 years experience, independent contractual weaver owning a unit of 10-12 looms and 6-8 weavers. He started this work before his ancestors worked in the business of oil milling. Manufacturing only duri.9 members in the family, all healthy. Training people to learn the skill, many trainees who learnt from him working with him today. Previously the quality of duri was heavy as compared to these days. Raw material from Panipat, Delhi, Jaipur etc. Earlier designs were resembling the bedsheets that were prepared on handloom but now have changed and innovation is happening as per international trend and demand. Pedals are beings used 6-8 which were 2-4 earlier, this is a task of great skill, finesse and master craftsmanship along with expertise.order size usually 4*5= 500 to 700 pieces. No awareness about any Govt. schemes.

Starting own business is not possible for him due to the huge investment required. A Labour card is made but not an artisan card.Raw material is to be protected from water and sunlight.There is difference in wages for both genders.Male weavers, efficient and active earns 350-450 per day and less productive average labour earns 300 per day. The present generation doesn't want to learn and work efficiently. They waste time on mobile but don't engage in the craft. He wants people to learn and continue the craft.No help from any Govt. agency or policy. Negligible awareness about the government schemes. Panja- Tight, heavy weaving, requires a lot more effort than Khaddi which is comparatively light and loose.

Material used- Shaneel, leather, Jute, Chindi (waste extra cloth pieces)etc.horizontal looms are used.base of the carpet is yarn -silk and wool and for duri base is jute and cotton thread.Wool carpet- vertical looms, popular colours in duri are Beige, green, grey, dust absorbent colours.Quality of work and production time has reduced over the years and evolutionary process.

Mr Jagdish, weaver turned manufacturer also dealing with exports.

52 years old, 30 years experience, M.com education, native of Agra, work unit in Fatehpur Sikri, leather-jute duri. 5 members in the family- 2 sons and 1 daughter (all in higher education). Comes from the Koli community, the traditional weaver group. In the same craft for generations. Uncle was a President awardee. Doing multiple handicrafts around the year for additional income especially since covid., like Moodha making, zari-zardozi, wooden butterfly chair, wall hangings and metal handicraft work. One son in duri craft who is a graduate with 5 years of experience in work. Standard sizes- 60*90 cm (2*3 ft.), 8*10, 4*6 etc.

Materials- cotton, woollen, jute, hemp, woollen and hemp maximum in demand.Raw material Kolkata-Jute, wool-Bikaner, Cotton- Panipat, Haryana. Taana (warp) and Baana(weft).

Completely handwork. Average order size is very dynamic, ranging between 100-3000 pieces and sometimes even upto bulk 10000 pieces. Participate in Delhi haat, UP govt craft fair Pragati Maidan, EPCH trade fair. Duri is made on a pit loom. Knotted carpet is done on a standing loom. Panja duri is done on a flat loom. Raw material totally bought on cash.

100 weavers worked with him for Duri making in 3 units, 1 in Fatehpur Sikri and 2 in Agrahaving 50-60 looms and a dyeing house. 70% advanced wages to weavers and 30% after final order. Italy prefers dark colours. Market- France, Australia (Auldi), Bulgaria, UK (Oka Direct pvt.

Ltd.-8 years old buyer), USA. Average costing of Duri-700 to 1000 depending on size. Paternal work of bedsheet making.Hand knotted carpet quality- 10*10, 9*9, 5*5, 10*14. Dury qualitycomb used of 7,3,9 and thickness of comb affects quality. Operational expenses- 40,000 per month for 3 units=1,20,000. Designs are finalised as per the add approval created by them on the basis of demand. Carpet order- 20 to 30 pieces on an average. Knotted carpet takes a minimum 1 month to be prepared. 8*10 (240*300) most demanded size in carpets- takes 4 artisans to work. Popular carpet sizes in cm are 170*240, 240*300, 70*120, 300*400. Main market for dury-Noida, Delhi. Loom sizes- 2*3, 3*5, 8*10. Thread is taken in bales- straightened on charkha and taana arranged over wheel (belan)- combing- nari is filled (setting thread in shuttle)- shuttle is moved from one side to other across weaving.this arrangement of setup takes 3 days time. Knotted carpets are most laborious and most expensive, highest in demand and rates are usually 600-2000 per sq.ft. Tufted are the cheapest- 120/130 per sq.ft. 8*10 carpet size- 44000/- average pricing, based on raw material,dyeing, weaving In Tufted technique- a cloth is taken as a curtain and weaving is done against it. Knotted carpet-4 labours per day- 1 inch productivity. 1 day in 1 labour- 2-4 pieces of standard plain duri. Sample goes for lab testing, colour goes to Ghaziabad and Faridabad labs for dye tests.

Direct and azo-free dye is used for colouring.Some designs are ISO certified and his and firm’s monopoly. Export orders- 30% profit margin. EPCH, CEPC awareness. The agents involved in the machinery- indirectly exploit weavers and hampers their outreach to new buyers. Training many more people in the craft. Graphs are handmade for designing duri and carpets. Shaneel velvet 8*10 carpet pricing around 64000/-. Chindi rugs- made from a zig-zag pattern machine using waste cloth from Surat and denim jeans fabric from Delhi. Biggest concern and roadblocksGovt. certification asked by international buyers- got SADEX certificate just for one year after spending 2 lakhs for compliance. Labour wages per day are 700 to 1000 depending upon productivity and order size. Annual turnover around 1.5-2 crore. Covid period- work has expanded and increased. Optimistic about the future. Competitors- Panipat, Sitapur, Bhadohi.

Best quality- Srinagar, Kashmir- 24*24 silk best quality- 2400/- per sq ft. starting range. 8*10 size Kasmiri carpet- around 2 lakhs worth. Designs are Persian, geometric, modern.

Mr. Rashid, independent duri weaver and manufacturing, Akhtar Baano label in the name of mother-National Awardee

Age-38 years, experience- 20 years. Active duri weaving, carpet weaving not operational. Panjaa duri- old generational work. Native- Agra, 10th fail, Healthy family of 5 members, own accommodation, critical financial condition since last 2 years. 1 son(13 years), 1 daughter (7 years)- both in school education. Wife- zardozi artisan, Mother- around 65-70 years, 50 years experience national awardee, suffering from cataract and old age issues.Extended family- 5 brothers and their nuclear families.some involved in duri some in other jobs.Major competition from Chinese and Indian synthetic mats and duri-cheaper alternatives. Local businesswholesalers in Jaipur and local traders of Agra. Participates in Fairs, Exhibitions and Delhi central bodies events like CCIC fairs. Good thread quality- 6 no., 10 no., 2 no.,sourced from Agra and 20 no. thread from Jaipur via transportation through roadways buses. 1 unit, based in rural area of Fatehpur previously-owned now on rent with 8-10 looms and 25-30 weavers all active.shift-8am to 7 pm (friday off) 3 to 4 people work on a single loom depending on size.Fatehpur Sikri- male artisans work but in Agra- ladies are also involved. Major reason for the shrinking industry in Agra city is land and space shortage so the units are shifting to outskirts and rural areas. People are preferring renting out spaces which is much more profitable and revenue generating than setting up looms. Duri designs are his self-created original.

Evolution in new trends in designs, old and outdated designs are being revived in new versions.

Per day artisan wages- 250 to 350 per day.Monthly income- lot of cash crunch and financial difficulties. Zero work nowadays.operational cost- 8000- 10000 per month.No evolution in the process.newer designs and innovation in combination of fabrics. Mostly in demand- cotton duri 10 No. materials used- jute, cotton, silk, chindi. Average costing per duri- 60/70 to 150/200 per sq. ft., also based on design and duration of production. Inflation/ deflation affects the work severely. Turnover has reduced over the years, no work happening since last year. Loan is overhead. Artisan cards are made along with cards issued by hastshilp dept, ministry of textiles, GOI. Plain duri 6*4- 2 artisans prepare in 1 daytime. 1 weaver, depending upon design, can produce about 1.5-2 meters of work. Skill and duri craft is at stake for the family with him being the last proponent, not sure about future generations to continue it. Participated in GuruShishya Parampara training program- trained people for the craft, many working in his unit today. Storage is done in rooms- with a plastic base over which piles and heaps are made.

Wool yarn and finished products need special care and attention as the threat of insects is always there.Previously dyeing their thread at their own facility but now purchase pre-dyed.

Saves time, effort and money. In the process, the distance kept between threads in the warp setup (taana) is according to material. for ex., 20 ply cotton weaving- 3mm distance in threads, wool-12 mm. Finer the thread, the closer they are placed. Gulle controls thread movement up and down, Makda controls the weaving process. Army personnel clientele in father’s time- for personal purchases. Production rate is same throughout the year- winters demand more seasonwoollen duri. Standard medium size of duri in demand- 12*6, 6*9, 3*5. Carpets are woven on vertical looms. Duri is finished using chemicals to give a faded vintage look- a process called antique wash. 1 duri takes 2-3 hours by 1 person for finishing-clipping and all. packaging in plastic roles and bales. Costing based on design and material and weaving and raw material ranging between 80-250 per sq.ft. Hand Knotted is tougher and less beaten as compared to hand tufted.

Process- Cones of thread are brought, straightened and then balls are made. Tery-thin wood made of bamboo is used to wrap the thread around in shuttle preparation.major market- Delhi, Jaipur. Bundles of ready products are made and packed according to buyer requirements. Highly demanded sizes- 7*10, 6*4, 9*12, 6*9 with different selling prices. Profit margins-1015%.challenges- loss of work and scarcity of work, marketing support needed.agents take away the dues of real beneficiaries in govt policies and schemes.

REFERENCES Dhurries/ Floor Covering and Carpets of Uttar Pradesh – Asia InCH – Encyclopedia of Intangible Cultural Heritage. (2021). Retrieved 22 June 2021, from https://asiainch.org/craft/carpet-weavingof-uttar-pradesh/ https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/research-videsha-dhurrie-weaving-craft/ Dhurrie Weaving~Sironj - Craft Archive | Research on Indian Handicrafts & Handloom. (2021).

Retrieved 20 June 2021, from https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/research-videsha-dhurrie-weavingcraft/ Introduction. (2021). Retrieved 24 June 2021, from https://www.dsource.in/resource/durries-andcarpet-weaving-bhadohi/introduction →, V. (2021). Handmade Durries of India ( Durry is a type of Indian Rug made of Cotton, Jute or Wool ) - The Cultural Heritage of India. Retrieved 25 June 2021, from https://cultureandheritage.org/2012/11/handmade-durries-of-india-durry-is-type.html EXTRAORDINARY PANJA WEAVING FOR 2021. (2021). Retrieved 25 June 2021, from https://www.swadesi.com/news/panja-weaving/ History of Rugs in India. (2021). Retrieved 25 June 2021, from https://www.eyesofindia.com/blog/2017/09/product-highlites/history-of-rugs-in-india.html Dhurrie Weaving. Everything you need to do. (2021). Retrieved 25 June 2021, from https://hindikrafts.com/dhurrie-weaving/ Agra Durrie. (2021). Retrieved 25 June 2021, from https://sahasa.in/2021/05/04/agra-durrie/ Steps to Boost Textile Industry. (2021). Retrieved 25 June 2021, from https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1695171