Fashion designers tie up with Banarasi weavers to push 'Make in India'

In a step to boost the Make in India campaign, top fashion designers of the country have allied with groups of weavers from Banaras (Varanasi) to showcase their products on the international stage.

On Wednesday, BJP's Maharashtra treasurer and fashion designer Shaina NC, along with India's leading fashion designers, met with union textiles minister Santosh Gangwar and officials concerned of the textiles department, local master weavers, manufacturers and cluster groups at the weaver service centre in Varanasi to finalise the tie-up.

Shaina NC said, "Currently, over 50 designers are supporting this cause, which is an initiative that takes its cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign. We want to take this number to 100, or even more. This will help handloom products here get the much-needed market for revival."

"We will also endeavour to make the weavers service centre work more proactively; we are aiming to work with the fact that the weavers are the actual designers here. We are all just trying to help them with the design sensibility that it takes to make the products commercially viable," she added.

Gangwar assured the designers that his ministry would do all it can to support the initiative, whether for sponsorship or marketing support.

Present at the meeting were renowned fashion designers Ritu Kumar, Krishna Mehta, Rina Dhaka and Anita Dongre among others.