Costly apparel wool hits shawl industry

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 25

The Rs 2,500-crore shawl industry of Amritsar has taken a hit after the price of apparel wool increased in the international market. The price escalation ranges from Rs 200 to Rs 600 per kg depending upon the quality of wool. A majority of the wool is imported from Australia and South Africa.

Fine micron wool, which is locally called Pashmina, registered the maximum increase of Rs 600 per kg and greasy wool recorded a rise of Rs 200 per kg. The industry employs over 5,000 people who work on 1,500 power looms and 500 imported shuttleless looms. Besides, nearly 20,000 people, especially women from the rural areas of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, are engaged in embroidery and nearly 4,000 embroidery machines are also deployed for the purpose.

Piara Lal Seth, general secretary, Shawl Club of India, said: “This is the second blow to the shawl industry after the Covid-battered period last year when it recorded zero exports.”