COLOURFUL SPREAD: A range of exquisite cotton and silk sarees are on display at the APCO's summer cotton and silk mela that began in Vijayawada on Sunday. The exhibition is open till June 11. PHOTO: RAJU. V

VIJAYAWADA: An opportunity is in store for the denizens of the city to pick up the latest cottons and exquisite silk sarees from the famous looms of Mangalagiri, Venkatagiri, Gadwal, Pochampalli, Chirala and so on with a good discount.

The Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society Limited, better known as APCO, opened a weeklong summer cotton and silk mela at Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce hall in Gandhinagar on Sunday. The mela will remain open till June 11.

APCO's divisional marketing officer C. Bala Brahmam says that the mela will provide a much-needed marketing avenue to the weavers of primary societies across the State. The expo features sarees, bed sheets, readymade garments for men and women and toiletries, to name a few, on which discount ranging from 20 per cent to 60 per cent is offered. Cotton and silk sarees in the price band of Rs. 400 to Rs. 4,000 are on display. Sarees of Ahimsa silk, an in-house innovation of APCO, too are on display.

Mini exhibitions

"A sale target of Rs.6.58 crores has been fixed for Vijayawada division this year.

Through these exhibitions, we are planning to do a business of Rs 1.10 crore. After Vijayawada, we will be conducting similar melas in Guntur and Ongole. We will be organising road shows, sales counters and mini exhibitions to bring the customers close to the weavers," he explains.

Mr. Brahmam says concerted efforts are being made to introduce new designs and patterns in the handloom sector to match the emerging trends in the world of garment industry.

Sarees from Polavaram, Kappaladoddi and Pedana, along with popular brands from Mangalagiri, Venkatagiri, Gadwal, Pochampalli, and Chirala are on display. "Handloom sarees from Rajahmundry and Machilipatnam are also being sold.

The sarees from Chirala have been woven as per the designs and patterns provided by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)," he reveals.

Focus on target

On the performance of Vijayawada division of APCO, Mr. Brahmam says that only Rs. 4.30 crore of business could be done against a target of Rs. 6.28 crore last year. "This year, we are more focussed to reach the target," he adds.

Senior divisional commercial manager in South Central Railway G. John Prasad and his wife Sujatha inaugurated the expo.

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