Delhi, 6 August (H.S.): Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, launched the book Carbon Footprint Assessment in the Indian Handloom Sector: Methods and Case Studies, developed by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms and the Department of Textiles & Fibre Engineering at IIT Delhi. This document reinforces the Government of India’s commitment to environmentally conscious handloom production and sustainable development, offering methodologies to measure and reduce the sector's carbon footprint.

The handloom sector employs over 35 lakh people, including 25 lakh female weavers, thus contributing to women's economic empowerment and preserving India's rich cultural heritage. The sector's advantages include low capital requirements, minimal power use, eco-friendliness, small production flexibility, and adaptability to market needs.

The book highlights the role of handlooms in sustainable fashion, detailing carbon footprint measurement through real-world case studies of products like cotton bedsheets and Banarasi sarees. It outlines low-cost data collection and emission measurement methods tailored to the handloom sector to enhance eco-friendly production.

The research was developed through a collaboration between the Office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms and IIT Delhi, involving consultations with experts and grassroots groups. The book aligns with global climate reporting standards to facilitate sustainable growth in the sector. The Ministry encourages stakeholders and the public to utilize the findings to advance a greener Indian textile industry.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar