It is the perfect blend of tradition and modern. The traditional handloom Banarasi sari is being promoted with the help of technology by the younger generation of the traditional manufacturer families, thus not only creating a bigger market for them but also reviving traditional weaving techniques like Rangkat, Kadua Jangla and designs like Shikaargah etc.

Tehzeeb Anwar, who runs a traditional Banarasi textile and sari manufacturing business, says, “We run a family business from generations. Now with changed times we have resorted to electronic showcasing of our saris, that too globally with the help of technology. Primarily we started displaying saris produced by our grandfather on our Instagram page, which in turn resulted in a large number of queries from India and globally as well. We were amazed how an 80 years old masterpiece is still in demand. So we thought of putting a lot of traditional weaving techniques and patterned saris on digital display and the response has been good.”

He goes on to add, “Through E-marketing, weavers are able to explain clearly in detail to the consumers why these traditional handloom saris are expensive and also the entire composition of it. So we now have buyers of such kinds of stuff. The demands for such saris has gone up and people are also pre-booking their orders.”
Udit Khanna, founder of a luxury Banarasi textile brand and one of the pioneers in E-selling of Banarasi fabric and saris, says, “Makers really need to explain their craft, as the consumers need to know what they are buying in terms of the intricacy of the craft. When the craft is being written about by the sellers on the E-platform, it gets publicised so buyers are more aware and willing to pay for it.”

More and more traditional manufacturers of Banarasi fabrics are going for E-marketing. “Earlier selling to wholesaler and retailers of different regions of the country involved a lot of effort and cost to manufacturers but with the use of social media marketing they are able to reach a large number of consumers. Moreover, most of these traditional businesses are now being handled by the younger generation who are more technology savvy and are able to use it for their business as well,” says Tehzeeb Anwar.
Further explaining is Rajat Pathak, a Banarasi textile manufacturer, “Education, exposure and understanding of social media as a tool by the millennial of the traditional manufactures/master weaver families has brought a marked change. One cannot expect a very huge volume of business through social media but for sure a new window has opened for heirloom weavers as well as elite boutiques across the world. There are high-end consumers who wish to own not only a nine yards of sari but also a story , history and lineage associated with it.”