The Dhapewada textile unit in Nagpur district will be inaugurated on October 17 by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and actor-turned-Mathura MP Hema Malini, as the region seeks to strengthen livelihoods linked to its traditional Karvatkathi tussar silk weaving industry.
The inauguration of the Dhapewada Textile Udyog Producer Company Ltd building will include a fashion show featuring both professional models and the women who weave the sarees. The event will showcase Karvatkathi tussar silk sarees produced by local women and is intended to highlight the region’s handloom tradition.
The company was conceptualised by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, whose hometown is Dhapewada, to support the village’s traditional weaving community. According to company director Sudhir Dive, the initiative is focused on creating sustainable livelihood opportunities by combining training, handloom production and improved access to customers.
Women participating in the programme receive 45 days of handloom and weaving training. After completing the training, they can produce sarees and other textile products for income. Dive said the company has completed 12 training batches so far. The effort to support the local traditional weaving industry began in earnest in 2019, when Gadkari took charge of the MSME ministry, according to the report.
The unit currently has 50 active handlooms producing Karvatkathi sarees from tussar silk. Each saree takes about 10 days to weave and weighs approximately 600 grams. Dive said the sarees have received a Geographical Indication tag, recognising their association with the region and providing a formal identity for the product.
The company plans to make the sarees available to customers for Rs 400, although it places their market value at between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000. The pricing and market-value figures were provided by the company and have not been independently assessed in the supplied report.
The new building covers 13,000 square feet and is expected to accommodate around 100 staff members. Beyond the Dhapewada facility, the company is also working to expand the reach of handloom and handicraft products from Vidarbha. A dedicated space for these products is being developed on the third floor of the new Agrovision building in Jai Prakash Nagar.
The inauguration and the proposed retail space mark the next steps in the company’s plan to connect local production with wider customers while retaining the role of women weavers in the manufacturing process.
