The Handloom Mark is an Indian government label that identifies a product as genuinely handloom. Craftmark is a separate hallmark for handmade crafts, run by a craft-sector body rather than by the government. Both help you tell a handmade product from a factory imitation, but neither replaces your own checks.
The details of schemes like these change, so confirm the current rules with the issuing body. What follows is the general picture and the questions to ask. The checking method in how to verify a textile certificate applies to these labels too.
What is the Handloom Mark?
Anyone searching for the Handloom Mark in India or for Craftmark in India will find several sources of varying quality, so go to the issuing bodies. The Handloom Mark was introduced by the Ministry of Textiles to promote genuine handloom products. It is meant to assure the buyer that the product was woven on a handloom, and it carries a registration or licence number so that the tag can be traced. Weavers, cooperatives and producers apply to the government's handloom office to use it.
Handloom in this context means woven on a loom operated by hand, without electric power. A product that is powerloom woven or machine-printed to imitate handloom is not eligible.
What is Craftmark?
Craftmark is a quality and authenticity label for handmade crafts, set up by the All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association. It also covers textiles, but extends to other handicrafts. The label signals that the producer meets standards on craft authenticity, working practices and fair treatment of artisans, as defined by the scheme.
It is a voluntary scheme, so the absence of a Craftmark does not mean a product is not handmade, and the presence of one does not replace a check of your own order.
Handloom Mark, Craftmark and GI tags
These labels do different jobs. A Geographical Indication tag says a product belongs to a region and a traditional method, as described in GI tags for Gujarati crafts. The Handloom Mark speaks to the loom. Craftmark speaks to the craft and the conditions of its makers. A single product can carry more than one, and each answers a different question.
What to ask a supplier
If a supplier says its goods carry one of these marks, ask for the following:
- The registration or licence number, and the name under which it is held.
- Whether the licence covers the exact product, and not only another item from the same producer.
- The name of the weaver or craft group that made your order.
- Evidence that the mark is current, from the issuing body or its database where one exists.
- A photograph or video of the loom or work in progress, to match the claim.
Do not rely on the mark alone
A label is evidence about a producer at a point in time. It does not guarantee that your lot was made by the same people in the same way. Visit the maker, look at the loom, and check the batch against the sample. The practical tests are in how to check a fabric is genuinely handmade.
If your customer sells the product as handloom, keep the evidence for each order. In some markets, the claim on your label is your legal responsibility, so confirm what is required with your own authority.
Next step
We visit the weaver or craft group, check the licence with the issuing body and confirm the method on your order. Book a free sourcing review with the product you want to source.