Vishwa Sutra Showcases India’s Handlooms on Global Stage

The Ministry of Textiles has launched an initiative titled ‘Vishwa Sutra – India’s Weaving for the World’. A designer collection based on this initiative was showcased at the 61st Femina Miss India held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

This initiative has been developed by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) in collaboration with the National Institute of Fashion Technology. Its objective is to present Indian handlooms within a contemporary global design framework.

Under this initiative, 30 different handloom weaves from across the country have been brought together, each representing a different state.

The ministry stated that this initiative highlights the government’s vision of ‘Vocal for Local to Global’ and the Prime Minister’s 5F framework – ‘Farm to Fiber to Factory to Fashion to Foreign’.

Weaving styles under the ‘Vishwa Sutra – India’s Weaving’ initiative

These garments draw inspiration from India’s iconic weaving styles, including Varanasi brocade, Lepcha, Kanchipuram, Kota Doria, Maheshwari, Patola, Ikat, Kasavu, Paithani, Phulkari, Jamdani, Kullu shawl, Uppada, Khun, Pashmina, Muga silk, Ilkal, and other distinctive regional traditions.

Under a historic initiative, the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, has for the first time collaborated with the Femina Miss India platform to showcase the richness and diversity of Indian handlooms on a global stage.

Under the thematic initiative titled “Vishwa Sutra – India’s Weaving for the World”, a special handloom collection was unveiled during the grand finale of Femina Miss India.

‘Vocal for Local to Global’ initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the phrase “Vocal for Local” on 12 May, 2020, in his address to the nation as part of a special economic package for the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Context: This initiative was designed to promote rural industries, handicrafts, and small-scale manufacturing that were affected by the pandemic; it also aimed to reduce dependence on foreign imports. It was based on the “Make in India” (2014) campaign, which focused on local marketing and promotion.

On 13 March, 2024, NITI Aayog launched a special ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative under its ‘Aspirational Blocks Programme’ (ABP).