In ancient India, cotton textiles were produced with hand spinning and handloom weaving techniques. After the 18th century, power looms came into use. Our traditional industries suffered a setback during the colonial period because they could not compete with the mill-made cloth from England.

In the early years, the cotton textile industry was concentrated in the cotton-growing belt of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Availability of raw cotton, market, transport including accessible port facilities, labour, moist climate, etc. contributed towards its localization. This industry has close links with agriculture and provides a living to farmers, cotton boll pluckers and workers engaged in ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, designing, packaging, tailoring and sewing. In addition, the industry, by creating a chain of demands, supports many other industries, such as chemicals and dyes, packaging materials and engineering works.

While spinning continues to be centralized in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, weaving is highly decentralized to provide scope for incorporating traditional skills and designs of weaving in cotton, silk, zari, embroidery, etc. India has world-class production in spinning, but weaving supplies low-quality fabric as it cannot use much of the high-quality yarn produced in the country; weaving is done by handloom, power loom and in mills. The handspun khadi provides large-scale employment to weavers in their homes as a cottage industry.

Weaving is done by: