An Introduction
Soft, luxurious, warm, and comfortable, scarves and stole have all the qualities to be coordinated with any outer wear be it sweater, shirt, top or anything for that matter. Universally acknowledged fact, fashion and fashion trends never remain the same. Though once in a while, every trend repeats and rejuvenates itself and exerts its influence on the fashion lovers. The apparel industry is no doubt always stuck in vicious circle which goes on endlessly. Various styles have been adopted in the fashion industry owing to the weather effect, comfort and wear-ability quotient and most of the clothes never remain in vogue forever. However, scarves and stoles have been an integral part of the fashion trends and surprisingly have never been less demanded. Scarves and stoles can be an easy way to complete a look.

As the time has progressed, the fashion experts have exerted that scarves and stoles are here to stay owing to their utility and timeless style quotient. Today, we have a number of scarves and stoles available and in various fabrics, colors and patterns that one can go on raving about their style, comfort and designs. No wonder, stoles and scarves draw a fairly good revenue on the part of Indian textile industry.

An Overview of Indian Textile Industry India is a country of diversity, where not only different cultures or religions exist but a wide range of textiles as well. India is engaged in the production of a vast range of home furnishings, household linen, curtain tapestry, yardage and so on made of different textures and varying thickness. The Handloom industry of India exports a major chunk of versatile fabrics, bed linen, table linen, toilet and kitchen linen, towels, curtains, cushions and pads, tapestries and upholstery's, carpets and floor coverings, etc. to serve the demands of a number of handicraft lovers worldwide.

It has always been an earnest endeavor on our part to provide high quality and eco-friendly products to the world market and we have successfully accomplished the same by adopting various measures and techniques to maintain the ecological balance. In the current situation, the Indian textile industry is one of the most significant industries in the world and this is more than evident from the fact that the it accounts for around 4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), 14 per cent of industrial production and 16 per cent of the country's total export earnings. In fact, it is the largest foreign exchange earning sector in the country. Moreover, it provides employment to over 35 million people. With direct linkages to the rural economy and the agriculture sector, it is estimated that one out of every six households in the country depends on this sector, either directly or indirectly, for its livelihood.

Scarves & Stoles in the International Market One of the most demanded fashion garments, scarf or stole add glamor and elegance to any clothing. From celebrities to common people, scarves and stoles have been the prior choice for all. In the progress and growth of the Indian Textile Industry, scarves and stoles have played a vital role and have earned great export revenue. As the stoles are manufactured using various textiles and fabrics, these have boosted the Indian handloom industry by adding to the employment as well as earnings of this sector.

Facts and Figures The Indian textile industry is estimated to be around US$ 52 billion and is likely to reach US$ 115 billion by 2012. The domestic market is likely to increase from US$ 34.6 billion to US$ 60 billion by 2012. It is expected that India's share of exports to the world would also increase from the current 4 per cent to around 7 per cent during this period.

Indian textiles, handlooms and handicrafts are exported to more than a 100 countries. As per the latest figures available with the Ministry of Textiles, during the April-September period of 2008-09, the US continued to be the single largest buyer of Indian textiles with a 20.31 per cent share. The US is followed by UAE with 8.27 per cent share, UK with 7.53 per cent, Germany with 6.11 per cent and France with 3.80 per cent. The other countries that make the top 10 include Italy (3.76 per cent), China (2.54 per cent), Spain (2.76 per cent), Bangladesh (2.45 per cent) and Netherlands (2.44 per cent).

Indian Textiles: Development and Growth

National Centre for Design & Product Development To enhance the designing capability in the manufacture of scarves and stoles and allied textile products, two national Design & Product Development Centres have been set up. One is situated in New Delhi and the other one at Moradabad.

Urban Haats Realizing the great success that Dilli Haat has been accoladed with, many others have been introduced to provide permanent marketing infrastructure facilities for artisans from all over India. Eight such haats have been sanctioned at Ahmedabad, Agra, Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Ranghi, Jammu, Karnal & Tirupati. These haats will not only provide artisans all over India a platform to showcase and sell their talents but also mark the progress of handloom industry.