Lakshan Karthik &
Tanishka Dubey
Chennai, 23, August, 2024

The Kanchipuram silk saree industry is facing significant challenges due to rising gold prices, power looms and decline in the number of local weavers. Increasing gold costs have made it harder for small weavers with brokers supplying the sarees to larger brands making a substantial profit, said S.Kannadasan, owner, Sree Santha Saree.

This has led to a decline in market for smaller producers, which has worsened due to the rise in number of fake silk sareesThe introduction of fixed wages for weavers in the early 2000s has worsened the economic situation for small producers.

Organizations like the Kamatchi Amman Kooturavu Society provides support to weavers, while the Anna Society focuses on thread production. Each saree takes about 15 days to produce, and Kannadasan often bears the costs himself due to limited access to loans or external assistance.

Andhra Pradesh is the largest market for Kanchipuram silk sarees, but sales significantly drop during the months of Aadi and Puratasi. Major buyers such as Nalli, RmKV, and Chennai Silks capture most of the profits despite high saree prices, leaving small producers and the weavers struggling. The number of weavers has reduced from 5,000 a decade ago to just about 50 to 60 today.