DOI: 10.54207/bsmps2000-2026-t537g6 ISSN: 0971-9415

Market research for promoting handloom brands: A global and Indian perspective

Nithishkumar Durai, Basavaraj Purad, Ravi Parameswaran, Sri Maheswaran, Hari Venugopal, Pranav Pradeepkumar, Hamsavardhan Saravanan, Ashwinkumar Sureshkumar
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India’s handloom sector combines livelihood generation, regional craft knowledge and distinctive textile products, but producers face challenges in market access, digital adoption and communicating product authenticity. This communication discusses the role of market research in handloom-brand promotion, focusing on consumer insight, authenticity and geographical indication (GI), artisan-centred storytelling, digital channels and institutional support. According to the 4th All India Handloom Census (2019–20), India’s handloom sector provided employment to 3,522,512 workers, comprising 2,546,285 women, 975,733 men, and 494 transgender workers. Official statistics from the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India indicate fluctuations in handloom product exports over the five-year period, with export values recorded at USD 223 million in 2020–21, USD 269 million in 2021–22, USD 183 million in 2022–23, USD 140 million in 2023–24, and USD 142 million in 2024–25.These figures highlight the fluctuating nature of India’s handloom export performance, indicating that growth has not been sustained consistently over time. The expansion of e-commerce in the handloom sector also faces several challenges, underscoring the importance of strengthening digital capabilities and providing targeted training to enhance weavers’ digital literacy and market access. Present work proposes an integrated framework connecting market research, authenticity, storytelling, design and market access. It also identifies evidence gaps: claims about consumer ratings, engagement uplifts and market size should be retained only when the underlying studies and datasets can be independently verified.

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