Nestled in the picturesque Vindhyachal valley and situated in the Ashok Nagar district of Madhya Pradesh, the town of Chanderi is famous world over for its magnificent weaves. The town also hosts the occasional sightseer since it is interspersed with more than hundred monuments, both religious and secular, which stand in testimony for its glorious and eventful past. Chanderi can best be described as a rural town with an urban consciousness. Weaving is the source of livelihood for more than 60% of its population, while the rest are engaged in agriculture, biri making, stone quarring and tertiary occupations.
The handloom sector is the one of the largest employment providers in both rural and semi-urban areas of India. Though it employs a large number of rural people, the handloom sector is considered a sunset industry due to the relentless encroachment of mechanisation, modernisation and sophistication. The Artisans and weavers are facing a severe livelihood crisis because of adverse government policies, globalisation and changing socio-economic conditions.
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The Chanderi Weavers’ ICT Resource Centre and the Chanderi Integrated ICT for Development Program are intimately linked with each other. The CWICTRC will be the facilitator for the implementation of the CIIDP.
The CWICTRC endeavours to incorporate the whole weaver community into its fold, by bridging the gap between the weavers’ and the market, thereby eliminating profit mongering middlemen and middle level agencies. The weavers will be able to correspond directly with showroom owners through this initiative.
