Peddapuram Silk Products Shine With Their Brand Image

The Peddapuram silk is known for the traditional silk weaving industry and manufactures silk dhoties, uppers, shirts and sarees that are esteemed for their quality, intricate designs and vibrant colours.

Once upon a time, the Peddapuram Silk was a proud presence at many weddings and other auspicious occasions. Recently, Peddapuram Silk was listed in the One District-One Product scheme, which is bound to be of an additional support to weaver families.

The Peddapuram silk’s eminence is traced to the Chowduwada estate zamindars, Muppana Somaraju and Veerraju, who established a silk factory in Peddapuram in 1913. In a sensational act in those days, they imported some of the equipment from Germany. The unit used to operate on electricity generated by DG sets.

About 1,200 weavers used to work in their silk factory. The raw materials were imported from China and Japan through the Kakinada Port. The weaving was done on 1,200 handlooms.

In recent times, the Kakinada district collector paid attention to reinforce the brand image of Peddapuram Silk products and encouraged the weavers to increase their production. The the handloom and textiles department was engaged for its promotion and government assistance assured to these units.

Handlooms and textiles assistant director Peddiraju said that 350 handloom weavers are currently working in two weavers cooperative societies. They are involved in production of Kuppadam dhotis, silk sarees and shirting clothes in many vibrant colours. Some 150 weavers are working for the master weavers.

Some Rs 6 crore worth production is done in Peddapuram Silk a year. The products are marketed through societies, outlets, APCO, online mode and through participation in many national-level exhibitions. Governmental assistance is provided to the weavers.

Some 550 handloom weavers are getting pensions of Rs 4,000 every month, from age 50, and 200 handloom weavers benefitted under the Weavers Mudra Scheme.

One handloom cluster was sanctioned during the year 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 54.80 lakhs by the central government. Skill training programmes were conducted for weaving, dyeing and designing. The collector said a raw materials supply scheme is being for the weavers with a 15 per cent subsidy.

According to weavers, the Peddapuram silk products are sold in the range of 750 to `7500 for different varieties. They are worried, however, over the hike in prices of yarn and other raw materials and said they are alternatively trying to get yarn and other materials from Bengaluru or other cities. “If the yarn and other raw materials are available at cheaper rates, this would reduce the cost of production,” they said.

Officials said a proposal has been pending with the government for providing a subsidy to the raw materials for weaving.