Kasaragod weaving society is down to 30 weavers though the Kasaragod Saree carries a Geographical Indication tag

2 October 2026

The Kasaragod Weaving Cooperative Production and Marketing Society, an 88-year-old institution, now has only 30 weavers.
Until 1990 the society had around 500 weavers working 500 looms, with more than double that number engaged indirectly in ancillary work.
The Kasaragod Saree received its Geographical Indication tag in 2010 and is the only product from the district to have received one.
The society is operating at a loss of nearly ₹1.75 crore and pays 11.75 per cent interest on a ₹70 lakh loan taken from Kerala Bank, with a monthly interest liability of ₹60,000 to ₹65,000.
Its turnover fell from ₹85 lakh in 2015-16 to ₹60 lakh last year, and the turnover during the last Onam season was ₹12 lakh.
When the society called for weaving training this year to recruit 30 new weavers, only 10 responded and only 4 are still employed.
The society is yet to receive about ₹3 lakh from the government for fabric woven under the free school uniform scheme, under which the weaving rate was set at ₹57 per metre.
A ₹2 crore development project included in the Kasaragod Development Package could not be implemented because the society had to contribute 60 per cent of the funds.