Q.Why are handloom and handicrafts described as the backbone of Manipur's industrial sector?

Because large factory industry is limited in Manipur, its traditional crafts carry most of the industrial weight. Handloom and handicrafts are its biggest cottage industry.

Weak large industry. Manipur has very little large-scale, factory-based manufacturing. The reasons are structural: difficult hilly terrain, distance from major national markets, weak transport links, a small local market and limited capital and power. As a result, the secondary sector cannot rest on big industry.

Crafts fill the gap. In place of large industry, handloom and handicrafts dominate the industrial sector:

• They form the largest cottage industry of the state.
• They are a major source of employment, particularly for women weavers.
• Manipur has one of the largest concentrations of handloom weavers and craft persons in the North East.
• They carry strong cultural value, as weaving is deeply rooted in the state's traditions.
• They use local skills and materials and need little heavy infrastructure, which suits Manipur's conditions. …