Mar 02, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Industry and Commerce has taken steps to establish 25 handloom industry villages island wide by the end of this year.

The Ministry aims to encourage the villagers to produce handloom textile, which has a high demand in local and foreign markets, as a measure to increase employment and strengthen rural economy.

The Ministry has planned to establish handloom training centers in these villages and 500 craftsmen, 20 for each village will be trained and employed under this scheme.

Sri Lanka's handloom industry is estimated to be around US$ 13 million annually, and the Ministry is pushing to upgrade the sector as an OEM ((original equipment manufacturer) supplier to the world market.

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