Kovai Cora cotton

Kovai Kora cotton is made from a blend of silk and cotton.^[5] A superior quality cotton yarn is mixed with traditional silk to produce kora cotton.^[6] The sarees have bright colored border designs with occasional use of shining zari.^[6] The required designs are weaved using the loom using combinations of colored cotton and silk threads and the borders are added later.^[6]

The kora cotton sarees are weaved on traditional hand-looms.^[7] Every saree takes up to three days for weaving and the weavers are paid ranging from ₹450 (US$5.40) to ₹850 (US$10) per saree.^[7] The saree is weaved by traditional weaving families in the districts of Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode in the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.^[7] Sirumugai in Coimbatore district is the major producer of kora cotton sarees.^[7]

82 co-operative societies in the districts of Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode have been certified as authorized dealers of Kovai Kora cotton by the Government of Tamil Nadu.^[5] Kora cotton sarees are priced between ₹800 (US$9.60) to ₹1,200 (US$14).^[6] The sales of kora cotton sarees have seen a decline over the last three decades due to change in dressing preferences of women.^[7] Soft silk sarees look grander and colorful with designer blouses.^[7] Lower demand and higher remunerations for weaving soft silk sarees have led to weavers switching to weaving silk sarees.^[7] The GI tag helped increase sales by 15% in 2014-15. But the spike in demand was able to convince weavers to switch back to weaving kora sarees and the sales declined the following year.^[7] The Government of Tamil Nadu sells the sarees through government run Co-optex stores.^[8]

Kora cotton sarees weaved from traditional hand-looms face competition from cheaper cotton sarees weaved through power-looms.^[9] The cotton sarees produced through power-looms cost ₹400 (US$4.80) to ₹600 (US$7.20) compared to hand woven sarees which cost between ₹900 (US$11) and ₹1,200 (US$14) per saree.^[9] High excise duty on yarn used by the hand-looms leading to higher production costs and greater efficiency of power-looms have contributed to the fall in demand for hand woven kora cotton sarees.^[9] Weavers have often demanded assistance from the Government of Tamil Nadu for subsidizing production.^[9]

In 2014, the Government of Tamil Nadu applied for Geographical Indication for Kovai Kora cotton sarees.^[10] The Government of India recognized it as a Geographical indication officially since the year 2014-15.^[4]