Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051204540800.htm

Tamil Nadu

Cotton weaves from Erode, Salem

Staff Reporter

15-day State handloom weavers exhibition gets underway 15-day State handloom weavers exhibition gets underway

Chennai: Aimed at the youth market, weaves in fresh-smelling cotton from Salem and Erode is the highlight of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (Co-optex) exhibition.

The exhibition, inaugurated on Wednesday by K.V. Raghavulu, Chief General Manager, NABARD, at the Thillaiyadi Valliammai Pattu Maligai, and will be on for another 15 days.

On the special sale of salwar kameez materials for school, college and office-going women, R.N. Choubey, Managing Director, Co-optex, said 10,000 sets, titled the "Yuva Collections," would be on display within the price range of Rs. 250 to Rs. 450 per set.

"The exhibition was held on a trial basis last year. Happy with the response, we have organised this sale of modern dresses. This will be soon taken to Bangalore, Coimbatore and Madurai," Mr. Choubey said.

The NABARD gave working capital to the Co-optex and financed the weavers' cooperative societies, he said.

A six-member student team from the Textile Designing Department of Stella Maris College, assisted by two members of the faculty, did the designs.

The students conducted a survey of the existing designs and visited the looms and weaving units in Kumarapalayam and Erode.

"Giving a facelift to the traditional image of the Co-optex, we have introduced a mixture of colours that are cheerful and sober with cheques and stripes," said Deepti Mehandru, a team member.

Mr. Choubey said that the Co-optex extended market support for nearly two lakh weavers' families in Tamil Nadu.

It provided marketing support by orienting its products to meet customers' needs.

The large number of products and new designs earned a turnover of Rs. 106 crore during 2005-06.

Adding to its range of sarees, dhotis, lungies, bedsheets, towels and furnishing, Co-optex has 300 designs in churidhars sets in the "Yuva Collection."