Traditional industries can be an interesting research area for scholars for multiple reasons. First, these industries are in many ways our connection to the past. Second, they may provide employment in rural areas whilst simultaneously mitigating urban migration. Third, human interactions are likely to play a significant role in the working of the industry. Fourth, the craftsmen are found to be extremely entrepreneurial in nature and therefore still relevant in modern times. Handloom (making of fabric using hand operated looms) is one such traditional industry where all the above reasons to study it can be found. To date about 2.6 million people are still involved in this industry across India. While many of these (about 65%) are in the remote areas of India with production serving domestic markets, the rest (35%) of the industry produces day-to-day clothes & furnishings for markets across the nation. My talk will look at the workings of the handloom industry in two States in South India. Indian states of Telangana and Andra Pradesh with a focus on the interplay between human and social capital of the small entrepreneurs.

About:

Suresh Bhagavatula, NSRCEL, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Recent paper:

The handloom industry and the interplay between social capital and human capital