The Association of Corporations and Apex Societies of Handlooms (ACASH) has been working on this aspect of the show for the past year. India Weaves was the new avatar of the ageing National Handloom Exposition. This exposition used to be held annually either at the Ram Lila Grounds or at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, where it had the look of a mela. Moreover, the crowds that visited the exposition were not really interested in buying handlooms.

ACASH rechristened the National Handlooms Exposition as India Weaves and changed the venue to the more upmarket Dilli Haat. The products too were upgraded as were the prices to cater to this crowd.

"This year, we concentrated on new products, but from next year, we will try and introduce new kinds of fabrics," says Ms Ritu Behl, exhibition in-charge, ACASH. Only 5 per cent of the exhibitors had some new fabrics, but next year, ACASH hopes that at least 20 per cent of the exhibitors will have new fabrics to display. For this, tie-ups are being worked out with the students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and the National Institute of Design (NID).

At this year's exhibition, for example, the Madhya Pradesh Sericulture Society has experimented with the traditional `bagh' prints. They have some exclusive designs printed on crepes, tussar and silks, which had earlier been restricted to cottons. Even the Kashmiri weavers have experimented with their traditional needlepoint work and embroidered patterns on the now popular fabric, crepe. Moonga silk weavers in the north-east were convinced into changing their colour styles and using simpler combinations. "We also persuaded them to weave blouse pieces along with the saris as they were more acceptable," says Ms Behl.

The Development Commissioner of Handicrafts spent Rs 40 lakh last year on R&D for handlooms. A similar amount has been earmarked for this year. The quantity of handloom fabric being woven in the country too has gone up to 6,796 million sq m in 1998-99 from 500 million sq m in the 1950s.

ACASH has begun to sponsor weavers at specialised textile fairs, like Hemtexil in Germany and some Japanese trade fairs this year. "This has been very successful, with the handloom weavers displaying specially made bedroom and kitchen linen and home furnishing products," says Ms Behl.

A simple shift to a more elite market and a lot of imagination for new products promises to improve the fortune of the handloom industry. India Weaves is going to be an annual feature and it may even move to the other metros in the not too distant future.