Apco plans big on home furnishing

The Andhra Pradesh State Handloom weavers Co-operative Society Limited (Apco) is planning to enter the home furnishing business in a big way to enhance its sales turnover.

For this, it is opening an ultra modern showroom at Hyderabad very shortly. Apart from this, Apco is giving a facelift to all its 230 showrooms spread across the country to boost sales.

"Our main sales comprise sarees and dress material. But there is a lot of scope for door curtains, bedsheets, pillow covers and other home furnishing material. Keeping this in mind, we are now encouraging our weavers to produce more curtains and other furnishing material," YS Prasad, vice-chairman and managing director, Apco, told Business Standard.

Initially, Apco will open one modern showroom at Hyderabad. "Depending on the response, we will go for more such showrooms at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada in the future," he added.

Recently, Apco signed a memorandum of understanding with Vijay Foundation, a non-government organisation, for surface ornamentation.

"Apco is placing more emphasis on value-added products to expand its business. With the help of Dwcra groups, Vijay Foundation will take up embroidery work and painting on handloom fabrics, which will enhance the value of products," he said.

Last fiscal, Apco clocked a sales turnover of about Rs 100 crore, including Rs 40 crore supplies to state government departments. The society is targeting a sales turnover of Rs 125 crore in the current year.

The society is also working towards increasing its exports. This year, it has set an export target of Rs 5 crore worth of handloom products.

"There is a lot of demand for our sarees like Dharmavaram, Pochampally and Gadwal in other countries. So this year, we are aiming to export at least Rs 4-5 crore worth of handloom products to other countries," he stated.

Apco is also planning to approach other airlines including Indian Airlines, Sahara, Deccan and Jet for supply of handloom sarees. The society already supplies sarees to Air India. The airlines had placed an order of 7,000 Pochampally sarees with the society, Prasad said.

To reach out to the new generation and also to cater to the modern taste, Apco has tied up with the National Institute of Fashion Technology, National Institute of Design, National Textile Commission and Weavers Service Center.

At present, around 92,300 weavers across the state through 1,044 weaver societies supply handloom fabric to Apco. Each weaver earns at least Rs 80 per day, he said.