Bharatsthali to link with Textiles Ministry for rural schemes, expands product range

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Sep 15, 2020

Handloom business Bharatsthali plans to run rural skill development and handloom schemes, in partnership with the Union Ministry of Textiles, and has responded to the pandemic by expanding its product selection.

 
As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to drastically reduce social gatherings, festivities, and weddings, brands specialising in occasion wear have had to evolve to meet the new customer demands. Bharatsthali, which specialises in handloom sarees from across India, has expanded its product lines to include a greater variety of garments and textiles, the brand’s founder Pulkit Gogna told the Times of India. 
 
“The pandemic has impacted even large corporations,” Gogna told the Times of India. “But we believe in continuous learning. To fulfil the fashion expectations of the urban women, we have expanded our offerings to include handwoven wholesale dupattas, fabrics, and suits.”

The handloom industry has been severely affected by the pandemic and many weavers have been forced to “take up odd jobs as vegetable vendors and cleaning,” said Gogna.

Praising the government’s stimulus package for the textile industry but stating a need for greater aid, Gogna plans to partner with the government to train more weavers in rural areas to help the industry recover from the pandemic and contribute to its future development. 
 
Pulkit Gogna launched Bharatsthali in 2017 in Chandigarh, as an overhaul of his father’s artisan business. The brand has an ‘Emporium’ store in Chandigarh and dedicated e-commerce marketplace which ships internationally.