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Expo of handloom products

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy taking a look at products at the expo.

PUDUCHERRY: Weavers in Puducherry have done it again. In a fitting reply to doubts raised about the quality of their handloom products, they have come out with exquisite items to bag their market share during the festival season.

The Pondicherry State Weavers’ Co-operative Society (PONTEX) and Pondicherry Co-operative Handloom Export Development Project (PONFAB), organisations spearheading the promotion of goods produced by weavers in the Union Territory, have opened their stalls at Maraimalai Adigal Salai to showcase various handloom products targeting both high-end and low-end customers.

The exhibition, an annual event, inaugurated by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Thursday, offers a discount of 25 per cent on all products and 60 per cent on select items. This year’s expo has to its credit different varieties of hand-woven textiles, clothing and home furnishing.

The items on sale at the exhibition include printed bedspreads, pillow covers, turkey towels, ordinary towels, napkins, cotton saris, and dhotis and those in polyester.

The price range is from Rs. 100 to Rs. 400 for bedsheets, and Rs. 200 to Rs. 500 for saris.

T. Chanemougam, Managing Director of PONTEX, said the exhibition would also showcase a few varieties of handloom products, especially saris from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

He said that they had set a target of Rs. 1.5 crore, up from last year’s Rs. 1.25 crore, through sales from the stalls set up in Puducherry and Karaikal in the Union Territory and Neyveli in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, PONFAB, in addition to the goods made by weavers from the Union Territory, has also exhibited jute products and handloom items from other States at its stall in Maraimalai Adigal Salai and its showroom in G.R.R Zone.

To cash in on the market during the festive season, the store has an array of attractive varieties of handloom products, mostly from other States.

According to PONFAB sources, they have set a sales target of Rs. 6.5 crore and a production target of Rs. 4 crore.

The exhibition will be on till November 7 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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