Everyone loves the word handloom these days.
But let’s stop pretending:
Most people in India are not wearing handloom.
They’re wearing glorified plastic labelled as handloom.
Yes — plastic.
The same family as the carry bag banned by the government.
And it’s time someone said this openly.
Fake “Handloom” Sellers Are Looting Customers and Killing GI Villages
Taking Kerala as an example, the state’s GI-certified handloom clusters — Kuthampully, Chendamangalam, and Balaramapuram — show how deeply rooted and culturally significant these weaving traditions are.
But, the real weavers are struggling, while fake “handloom” shops are laughing all the way to the bank by even making yearly turnover of more than INR 50 crores+ by selling fake handloom’s.
These shops buy:
- 50–100 rupee polyester sarees from Surat
- 25–50 rupee polyester dhotis
- Shiny synthetic fabrics pretending to be silk
- Machine-made powerloom junk
Then they slap the word handloom on it and sell it to customers for:
- 500–700 rupees and above
Profit is massive.
Morality is zero.
Real Kerala GI-Certified Weavers Survive on Two Seasons a Year
- Vishu
- Onam
That’s it.
And even then, sales come only because the government gives a 20–25 percent rebate.
Meanwhile, fake shops are doing 40–60 crore turnover every year by selling plastic.
And the real weavers, the actual heritage creators?
Many don’t even get one sale a day.
If You Are Buying Fake “Handloom,” You’re Not Just Killing the Industry — You Are Poisoning Your Own Body
Because those cheap handloom-looking sarees are actually:
- Polyester
- Shiny polyester pretending to be silk
- Synthetic fibers
- Powerloom copies
- Plastic threads
- Chemical-coated yarn
- Carcinogenic azo dyes
Your skin absorbs it every minute.
The Hidden Dangers of Wearing Polyester and Synthetic “Handloom”
1. You Are Literally Wearing Plastic on Your Skin
Polyester is PET — the same material used in plastic bottles.
Your skin breathes.
Plastic does not.
This leads to:
- Heat retention
- Sweat trapping
- Bacterial growth
- Skin irritation
- Fungal infections
- Allergies
- Rashes
- Itching
Your body is basically trapped inside a plastic bag.
2. Toxic Dyes Cause Real Health Damage
Cheap fake sarees use azo dyes, which are:
- Carcinogenic
- Mutagenic
- Banned in many countries
These dyes release amines that can cause:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Skin cancer
- Respiratory issues
- Liver problems
3. Microplastic Shedding
Every time you wear or wash polyester:
- Tiny plastic fibers come off
- They enter your lungs
- They enter rivers
- They enter the food chain
You are inhaling and eating the same plastic you wear.
4. Heat Stress and Poor Blood Circulation
Synthetic fibers trap heat and block airflow, causing:
- Overheating
- Dehydration
- Fatigue
- Stress on the heart
- Poor circulation
Environmental Damage No One Talks About
Polyester takes more than 500 years to decompose.
Every fake handloom purchase adds to:
- Overflowing landfills
- Polluted rivers
- Fertility loss in soil
- Dying marine life
- Microplastic contamination
- Climate damage
Real Handloom Is the Opposite of All This
Real handloom is:
- Skin-friendly
- Breathable
- Temperature regulating
- Naturally dyed
- Microplastic-free
- Durable for decades
- Safe for the environment
- Safe for your health
A real handloom saree lasts 20–40 years.
Polyester barely survives two washes.
Why Has the Kerala or Central Government Not Cracked Down on Fake Handloom Yet?
This is the question every real weaver asks — loudly, repeatedly, desperately.
The truth is painful:
There is no strong enforcement from either the Kerala government or the central government to control fake handloom flooding the market. Not because the problem is small — but because it is everywhere.
Reasons nobody likes to admit:
- Fake handloom sellers are spread across India in thousands
- Many operate legally on paper because “handloom” isn’t protected strictly
- Enforcement teams are few and poorly coordinated
- There is no nationwide law to punish fake handloom branding
- Powerloom lobbies are politically connected
- Authorities treat handloom as a cottage industry, not an economic priority
- Most officers don’t understand the difference between handloom and powerloom
- Weavers’ complaints are ignored because they don’t bring big money
- GI protection exists only on paper — not in the market
So, while real weavers plead for action, fake shops multiply freely with zero fear of the law.
As long as the government keeps treating handloom as a cultural decoration instead of a livelihood sector, fake sellers will rule the market and real weavers will disappear.
Recently, the government in Jammu & Kashmir cracked down on shops selling machine-made carpets and handicrafts falsely labelled as handloom. Showrooms were warned, and many were forced to remove counterfeit items immediately.
But let’s be real — this looks more like an isolated clean-up than a nationwide movement. In states like Telangana and almost all states, fake handloom-look products are still openly sold like in Kerala, and enforcement is mostly missing.
Overall: A good start, but nowhere close to the full-scale crackdown India actually needs.
If You Want Handloom to Survive — And If You Want Your Skin to Survive — Buy Responsibly
Before you buy:
- Check if it’s from a GI village
- Check for NFC or QR with Digital Product Passport
- Check yarn details
- Check weaving proof
- Check cooperative society connections
- Ask directly: Is this handloom or powerloom?
If they hesitate, walk away.
Final Truth
Fake handloom sellers are not just killing the weaving community — they are selling plastic poison disguised as culture.
Stop buying blindly.
Stop wearing plastic.
Stop funding fraud.
Buy real.
Support real.
Wear real.
Protect your health, the environment, and the weavers who are the true guardians of Indian heritage.
https://knnindia.co.in/news/newsdetails/state/kerala/kerala-handloom-weavers-seek-govt-intervention-against-sale-of-fake-products. Click here and read to know what Kerala weavers have to tell to the Kerala Govt: