HEPC is a nodal organisation constituted under “The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India” to promote the exports of all handloom products like home furnishings, carpets, floor coverings, clothing accessories, fabrics etc.
The basic objective of HEPC is to provide all support and guidance to the Indian Handloom exporters and International buyers for trade promotion and international marketing.
HEPC was constituted in the year 1965 with 96 members and its present membership is over 1500 spread all over the country.
The Handloom industry mainly exports bed linen, table linen, toilet and kitchen linen, towels, curtains, cushions and pads, tapestries and upholstery, carpets and floor coverings, clothing accessories, fabrics etc.
The weaving industry in India can be traced back to the days of Indus Valley Civilization. India is a country that has created a niche of its own when it comes to making of high-quality fabrics. Those who acquired the skills of working as handloom weaver or hand spinner have been a key segment in the Indian culture in the sense that their services have certainly been on a high demand over the years dating back to the 18th century. Handloom sector contributes about 12% of the cloth production in the country and 95% of the world’s handwoven fabrics comes from India. Handloom sector in India nearly provides direct or indirect employment to more than 3.5 million weavers and allied workers.