Nagpur: Union minister for textiles Giriraj Singh and veteran actor and MP Hema Malini will inaugurate the Dhapewada Textile Udyog Producer Company Ltd building at Dhapewada, Union minister Nitin Gadkari ’s hometown, on Oct 17. The inauguration will be accompanied by a fashion show in which models and the women who weave the sarees will walk the ramp together, showcasing the region’s traditional Karvatkathi tussar silk sarees.
Work to support the traditional weaving industry started in right earnest when Gadkari took charge of the MSME ministry in 2019. “Women are given 45 days of handloom and weaving training, following which they can make sarees and other products to earn livelihood. We have completed 12 batches so far,” Dive said. The unit currently has 50 active handlooms producing Karvatkathi sarees made from tussar silk. Each saree takes around 10 days to weave and weighs approximately 600 grams.
Sudhir Dive, one of the company’s directors, said the initiative was rooted in Gadkari’s association with Dhapewada and his desire to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for its weavers.