Kannur Handloom Cotton Dhurrie Towel Cooperative Kerala

Kannur (Cannanore) district in northern Kerala is the state primary handloom cotton cluster, employing over 40,000 weavers in cooperative societies producing dhotis, sarees, lungis, bed sheets, bath towels, and floor dhurries on traditional pit and frame looms. The Kannur Handloom Weavers Cooperative (HANTEX) exports premium cotton dhurrie rugs and towels to European home decor buyers, Scandinavian hotel chains, and Japanese fabric importers. Kannur cooperative dyers use GOTS-certified natural and low-impact dyes on cotton yarn sourced from Coimbatore spinning mills. The district cooperative bank provides seasonal credit for yarn procurement. Kannur handloom sarees in traditional Kerala kasavu (gold border) style are worn for Onam festival and temple ceremonies throughout Kerala. The cluster produces over 1.5 crore metres of woven fabric annually through registered cooperative societies.