The Great Handloom Betrayal: How Fake Products Are Flooding GI-Tagged Regions

In the vibrant villages of India’s handloom heritage, from Kuthampully to Chendamangalam, the looms are silent in many households—but the markets are louder than ever. Shops overflow with “handloom” sarees and dhotis, loudly advertised and sold in the very heart of GI-tagged regions. But here lies a bitter truth: most of these products are not handloom at all.

The Hidden Crisis in GI-Tagged Handloom Hubs

Kerala, a state rich in textile tradition, holds 13 Geographical Indication (GI) tags for handloom products like Balaramapuram Sarees, Chendamangalam Dhotis, and Kuthampully Sarees. These products are meant to be protected by law, reserved for weavers practicing time-honored techniques on handlooms. GI tags are meant to preserve heritage, ensure authenticity, and safeguard the livelihoods of artisans.

Examples of GI-tagged handloom products in India:

🧵 Andhra Pradesh

Uppada Jamdani Sarees – Fine cotton and silk blend sarees with intricate patterns.
Mangalagiri Fabrics – Unique Nizam border design with zari.
Dharmavaram Silk Sarees – Known for broad borders and muted colors with gold patterns.

🌾 Assam

Muga Silk of Assam – Famous for its natural golden sheen.
Assam Pat Silk – Soft and bright white silk woven in traditional motifs.

🎨 West Bengal

Baluchari Saree – Storytelling designs often depicting mythological scenes.
Shantipuri Saree – Extremely fine cotton saree, handwoven.
Tangail Saree – Intricate handloom sarees with floral and geometric designs.
Dhakai Jamdani – A revival of the historic muslin art with intricate weaving.

🧶 Odisha

Sambalpuri Saree – Ikat pattern in vibrant colors.
Bomkai Saree – Combines ikat and embroidery.
Berhampur Patta (Phoda Kumbha) – Rich zari work with temple motifs.

🌼 Kerala

Kasavu Mundu and Sarees – Cream-colored fabric with golden zari border.
Balaramapuram Sarees and Fabrics – Traditional white-and-gold Kerala wear.

🧵 Maharashtra

Paithani Sarees – Silk sarees with oblique square designs and peacock motifs.

🧣 Gujarat

Patola Sarees of Patan – Double ikat silk sarees, extremely intricate and expensive.

🎭 Jammu & Kashmir

Kani Shawl – Woven with the use of wooden sticks (kani), based on traditional patterns.
Pashmina Wool – Known worldwide for its softness and warmth.

🧥 Madhya Pradesh

Maheshwari Sarees – Cotton-silk blend with stripes, checks, and floral borders.
Chanderi Fabric – Known for sheer texture, light weight, and fine luxurious feel.

🌿 Nagaland

Naga Shawls – Each tribe has distinct motifs and color combinations.

🧣 Manipur

Manipuri Rani Phi – Traditional handloom shawls and wraparounds, often featuring intricate motifs and worn during special occasions.

But the ground reality? A far cry from what GI tags promise.

Kuthampully weavers from Kerala have raised concerns over the rising sale of fake, machine-made sarees falsely branded as handloom, which is harming their reputation, livelihood, and the authenticity of their traditional craft, Watch the Video.

Take Kuthampully, one of the most recognized handloom villages in Kerala. Over 100+ shops in the area claim to sell Kuthampully handloom sarees. Yet, only one cooperative society in the entire region—Kuthampully Handloom Industrial Cooperative Society—is genuinely producing handloom sarees. The rest? Powerloom-made fakes sold at lower prices, deceiving consumers and crippling the weavers who preserve tradition.

The story is similar in Chendamangalam, Balaramapuram, Kasaragod, and other GI-tagged regions. Authentic handloom societies are struggling to survive, while counterfeit sellers thrive by offering cheaper, faster alternatives, using powerlooms to mimic handloom textures. For ₹300, these counterfeits replicate intricate patterns, leaving unknowing customers duped—and real artisans abandoned.

A Threat to Culture, Livelihood, and Trust

This is not just about economic loss. It’s about cultural theft. The rampant sale of fake handloom products dilutes the value of GI tags, erodes public trust, and destroys centuries of weaving traditions. Weavers, mostly from marginalized communities, are forced to quit their craft, move to daily-wage labor, or shut down their looms. All because the market has no way to differentiate between real and fake.

The Permanent Solution: Blockchain-Backed Digital Product Passports

Recognizing this growing crisis, DMZ International Imports & Exports Pvt. Ltd., in collaboration with Save Handloom Foundation, has stepped in with a revolutionary, tech-driven solution: the Blockchain-enabled Digital Product Passport (DPP) for handloom products.

✅ What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP)?

A DPP is a digital identity card for each handloom product, powered by Blockchain technology and embedded with an NFC chip or QR code. When scanned via a smartphone, this passport displays the entire journey of the product:

Raw material origin
Loom type and weaving process
Weavers’ name and cooperative society
Date of creation
Photos and videos of the process
GI tag and authenticity certificate
1-year Handloom Integrity Assurance (for select brands)

This system makes counterfeiting nearly impossible. It empowers customers with verifiable data and brings transparency, traceability, and trust into the handloom industry.

Real Impact: Paravur Handloom Cooperative Society – A Working Model in Kerala

In Chendamangalam, Kochi, one of the few surviving GI-tagged handloom societies—Paravur Handloom Cooperative Society, known for its Kasavu brand of sarees and dhotis—has already implemented the DPP system.

Each Kasavu saree and dhoti now comes with a Blockchain-enabled Digital Product Passport, making it easy for consumers to verify authenticity on our marketplace products @ Handlooom.com. This move has not only restored buyer confidence but also given the weavers a new lease of life, enabling them to fight against fake products flooding the market.

This is just the beginning.

The Way Forward: Empowering Handloom Co-operative Societies and Enforcing Accountability

DMZ International and Save Handloom Foundation are now on a mission to implement DPPs across all GI-tagged handloom societies in India. The idea is simple:

Empower weavers with modern tools to defend their craft
Educate customers to identify real handloom products
Collaborate with governments to make DPP a requirement for GI certification
Promote slow fashion and protect India’s cultural heritage

Each NFC chip costs only between ₹20–₹25, and QR-based versions are available at even lower rates of 2-3 Rs. This minimal cost can prevent crores in counterfeit sales and ensure fair remuneration for genuine artisans.

🌐 Handlooom.com: Pioneering the Future of Ethical Fashion with Blockchain & DPP

Handlooom.com is the world’s first blockchain-backed Digital Product Passport (DPP) supported marketplace exclusively for handcrafted products made from 100% natural fibers. As a revolutionary fashion tech brand, it empowers weavers and artisans from across India by allowing them to list their products for free and sell globally—bridging the gap between traditional craftsmanship and modern technology. Each product comes embedded with an NFC chip or QR code that customers can scan to access its Digital Product Passport, offering complete transparency—from raw material sourcing to the artisan’s story—ensuring authenticity and traceability.

What sets Handlooom.com apart is its commitment to the artisans’ welfare: by removing middlemen, ensuring fair and direct payments, and providing a global platform, it enhances income security for weavers. The marketplace also offers access to branding, marketing, packaging, and logistics support—services that individual artisans often cannot afford on their own. This creates a sustainable ecosystem where artisans gain recognition, customers receive genuine, ethically-made products, and the world moves a step closer to embracing slow, responsible fashion.

What Can Customers Do?

As consumers, your role is crucial. Here’s how you can help:

🔍 Always ask for Digital Product Passports before buying GI-tagged handloom products.
📱 Scan NFC or QR codes to verify the product’s authenticity.
🛒 Buy only from verified handloom societies or brands offering traceability.
🚫 Avoid products with suspiciously low prices—real handloom takes time and effort.
🧵 Support ethical weavers and sustainable fashion.

A Final Word: From Deception to Revolution

The fight against counterfeit handloom is no longer a dream—it’s a movement. With Blockchain technology, DPPs, and genuine weaver collaboration, India now has a powerful system to protect its handloom legacy.

DMZ International Imports & Exports Pvt. Ltd. and Save Handloom Foundation are proud to lead this revolution. Together, with the support of government bodies, weaver societies, and conscious consumers, we can build a future where no weaver is exploited, no consumer is deceived, and every thread of Indian handloom tells its true story.

🛍️ Want to experience true handloom? Visit our verified online marketplace, scan the Digital Product Passport, and wear a legacy you can trust.

👉 For implementation inquiries or partnership with your society or brand, contact: 📧 support@dmzinternational.com | 🌐 www.handlooom.com | www.dmzinternational.com. | WhatsApp Chat: +91 91 0950 0950