The story
Arani near Tiruvannamalai is a silk-weaving town whose sarees are lighter and cheaper than Kanchipuram silks, making them popular for daily wear and weddings in middle-class homes. Weaving families work at home on pit looms for master weavers and cooperatives. Many weavers now also work on powerlooms or have moved to other jobs. Arani Silk holds a GI tag.
In numbers
Just 400 looms remain, down from 1,000 fifteen years earlier; a master weaver said weavers fell from 5,000 to less than 500, of whom around 300 are migrants from Andhra Pradesh.
The warp, the weft and the waning loom — People's Archive of Rural IndiaArani Silk is a registered GI (application 92, certificate 58).
GI Registry — Arani Silk, application 92
GI tag
- Arani SilkApplication no. GI Application No. 92 (Certificate No. 58)GI Registry, Intellectual Property India — application 92
Ways in for a newcomer
- Online retail of genuine Arani silk sarees
- Twisting, dyeing and warping services for weavers
- Mid-price silk saree brand for working women
- Design and jacquard services
Problems the cluster faces
- Steep fall in looms and weavers
- Powerloom copies and price competition
- Rising silk yarn cost
- Low earnings for hired weavers
Businesses to start here
Zari and Silk Embroidery →Saree Rolling and Polishing →Saree Dyeing and Printing →