Loom Upgradation Scheme

What is the Loom Upgradation Scheme in Manipur?

Loom Upgradation Scheme is a State Plan scheme of the Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles, Manipur, under the Department of Textiles, Commerce and Industry, Government of Manipur. The scheme supplies upgraded fly-shuttle looms to weavers who have no loom and replaces old or worn-out parts on the looms of weavers who already have one.

The Directorate's own framing of the scheme starts from first principles: weaving is the process of producing cloth, cloth is made by the interlacement of two yarns, and the loom is the machine on which that interlacement happens. That matters because the loom, not the weaver's skill, is often the binding constraint in a Manipuri weaving household. A weaver with no loom cannot work at all, and a weaver whose reed, shuttle race or heald frames have worn out produces slower and at lower quality.

Manipur has one of the largest concentrations of handloom weavers in India, and most of that weaving happens on household looms rather than in factories. Loom Upgradation Scheme is therefore an employment-generation measure as much as a technology measure: putting a working loom in a household creates a livelihood in that household.

Who can and cannot get a loom under this scheme?

You can be considered if:

• You are a weaver in Manipur and will actually use the loom.
• You are loomless, you weave, or are trained to weave, but do not own a loom of your own.
• Or your existing loom has old or worn-out parts that need replacement.
• You are a resident of Manipur, since this is a State Plan scheme.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not a weaver. The scheme distributes production equipment, not a cash benefit, and is not open to people who will not use it.
• You are a trader or supplier of looms or loom parts. Suppliers participate through the department's procurement route, not as beneficiaries.
• You live outside Manipur.
• You already hold a working loom in good condition and are asking for a second one, the scheme is aimed at the loomless and at looms needing repair.

The Directorate has not published a caste, income or age criterion for this scheme, so none should be assumed either way.

What exactly does the scheme provide?

Loom Upgradation Scheme works through two distinct routes, and it helps to know which one you are asking for:

1. Supply of an upgraded fly-shuttle loom to a loomless weaver. A fly-shuttle loom uses a cord-operated picking mechanism that throws the shuttle across the warp, instead of the weaver passing it hand to hand. It weaves faster and can handle wider widths than a simple throw-shuttle loom, which is why the department treats it as an upgrade rather than a like-for-like replacement.
2. Replacement of old or worn-out loom parts for a weaver who already has a loom. This keeps an existing loom in production instead of letting it fall out of use.

The Directorate has not published a rupee ceiling, a unit cost or a beneficiary contribution for either route. Any figure quoted informally should be checked against the current year's distribution order at the district office.

How to apply for the Loom Upgradation Scheme

1. Go to the district office of the Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles, or to the District Project Manager for your district. There is no online application and no portal form for this scheme.
2. State which route you need — a new fly-shuttle loom because you are loomless, or replacement parts for an existing loom. The two are handled differently.
3. Carry your documents: weaver identity card or Pehchan card if you hold one, Aadhaar card, and proof that you live in Manipur.
4. Get your name entered in the district list for the current distribution phase, and note the date on which you registered.
5. Attend the distribution when called. Looms are handed over against a register entry and signature; check that the loom or parts you receive match what was recorded.
6. Keep the acknowledgement you are given at distribution.

Why are looms distributed in phases?

Loom Upgradation Scheme runs against an annual State Plan allocation, so the number of looms distributed in a year is limited by the budget provided for that year. A weaver whose name is on the district list but who has not yet received a loom has usually not been rejected. The district's allocation for that phase was exhausted. The correct follow-up is to confirm with the district office that your name is carried into the next phase, in writing, rather than to file a fresh application each year.

Common reasons a request does not go through

• Registered at the wrong office. A weaver in a hill district must register with that district's office, not directly at the Directorate.
• No proof of weaving. The scheme is for working weavers; without a weaver identity card or a credible local confirmation, a claim is hard to verify.
• Wrong route requested. Asking for a whole loom when the need is a reed and shuttle replacement slows the case down, and the reverse is also true.
• Allocation exhausted for the phase, which is a delay rather than a rejection.

How this scheme relates to Manipur's other loom programmes

Loom Upgradation Scheme is a State Plan scheme, and it should not be confused with the centrally funded loom projects the Directorate also runs.

The clearest contrast is the Powerloom Estate sanctioned by the Ministry of Textiles on 6 January 2016 under NERTPS at Lamboi Khongnangkhong, where 41 powerloom units with 201 semi-automatic powerlooms are being set up in constructed worksheds. That project has a total cost of Rs 1,317.68 lakh, split as Rs 922.37 lakh central share, Rs 263.54 lakh state share and Rs 131.77 lakh beneficiary share, with 41 beneficiaries selected by a Selection Committee in 2014-15. It is a powerloom scheme with a beneficiary contribution and a fixed selected list; not an open handloom distribution.

Loom Upgradation Scheme, by contrast, is about handlooms in weaving households. Alongside it, the Directorate has implemented 51 Cluster Development Projects under NERTPS worth Rs 3,001.35 lakh covering 21,073 beneficiaries across Thoubal, Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Churachandpur, Chandel, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Senapati and Jiribam, plus Block Level Clusters under NHDP worth Rs 1,621.64 lakh.

A weaver in a cluster village should ask the district office whether loom support is reaching them through the cluster project or through this State Plan scheme, because the paperwork differs.

Where to get help

Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles, Manipur Directorate Complex, Lamphelpat, Imphal West Phone: +91 385 2410687 Email: support@dhtmanipur.com

Notifications are published at dhtmanipur.mn.gov.in. As of August 2026 the individual scheme pages on that site were not loading and had been reorganised, so a weaver should go to the district office or the District Project Manager directly. No fee is payable to any agent for being added to a loom distribution list.

How to check your application status

Loom Upgradation Scheme has no online portal and no application-tracking number, so status checking is entirely offline and rests on the district list you were entered into at registration.

• Confirm your entry first. At registration the district office or the District Project Manager should have noted your name, the date, and which route you asked for (a new loom or replacement parts). If you were not given any written or register-based acknowledgement of this entry, go back and ask for one, since without it there is no record to check against later.
• Follow up at the same district office, not at the Directorate headquarters in Imphal West, since the district office holds the current phase's distribution list, not the state office.
• Ask specifically whether your name is in the current phase or carried into the next one. Because distribution runs against an annual State Plan allocation, a name not covered in one phase is normally rolled into the next rather than dropped, but this only happens if you follow up and ask for it in writing.
• Call or write to the Directorate if the district office is unresponsive: Directorate of Handlooms and Textiles, Manipur, Directorate Complex, Lamphelpat, Imphal West, phone +91 385 2410687, email support@dhtmanipur.com.
• Do not pay anyone to "check" or "speed up" your status. No fee is payable to any agent for being added to or moved up a loom distribution list, and a request for one is a sign to report the person to the district office.
• At the time of distribution, verify that the loom or parts handed over match what was recorded against your name, and keep the acknowledgement you are given, since that becomes your proof of receipt if any discrepancy comes up later.