Apco’s digital leap wins SKOCH award

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society (Apco) received the prestigious SKOCH Award from the Central government in recognition of its digitalisation initiatives, state handlooms and textiles minister S Savitha announced on Friday.

In a statement, the minister said the coalition government has been prioritising the development of the handloom sector since assuming office. Alongside welfare schemes to provide financial security to weavers, the government has been implementing development programmes and entering into agreements to ensure year-round employment. Strengthening Apco to boost handloom sales has been a key focus, she added.

Savitha said several technology-driven reforms were introduced in APCO, including digital payments through PhonePe, facial recognition-based attendance for transparency, and computerised billing. Handloom products are now being delivered directly to customers’ homes through e-commerce platforms. These reforms have led to a significant rise in sales, earning Apco the SKOCH Award this year. The minister credited Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh for their support.

During the recent AP Budget session, handloom stalls set up in the Assembly complex recorded sales of over Rs 35 lakh in a week.

Products such as Pochampally, Venkatagiri, Dharmavaram and Uppada sarees, shirts, kurtas and other handloom items drew strong interest from legislators and staff. Encouraged by the response, the government plans to organise similar exhibitions across the state.