Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates continuities and changes in products and technologies in two Indian silk clusters. 'Tradition' and 'innovation' intermingle in the discourses and practices of silk entrepreneurs as they juggle with the contradictory demands of the market for handloom fabrics.

Paper long abstract:

This paper explores the practices in which entrepreneurs draw upon their expertise and existing knowledge repertoires for producing and selling silk fabrics. 'Tradition' and 'innovation', continuities and changes intertwine in the making of silk textiles and in the ways people talk about their work and their crafts. The widespread use of the term 'tradition' may be understood in relation to state discourses about the 'authenticity' and cultural significance of Indian handloom fabrics and also to efforts to secure specific market niches. Entrepreneurs draw upon repertoires of 'traditional' and conventional motifs and weaving techniques and at the same time they continuously adapt, reinterpret and modify their products according to changing consumers' preferences.

Highly innovative practices do exist in this 'traditional' industry. Yet the specific forms and degrees of innovation vary greatly among entrepreneurs. It is weavers-turned-entrepreneurs (as opposed to merchant-entrepreneurs) who display the most far-reaching innovations. They are better placed to combine in-depth technical knowledge with insights into market trends, which they gain through their direct engagement in sales and interactions with buyers. The links and overlaps between different communities of practice are often sites of change and artisans-entrepreneurs move and act in those areas of contact between practices. However, given their limited capital, the innovative ability of artisan-entrepreneurs could not be realised if substantial financial resources were a requirement for innovations. We need to consider prevailing labour relations and the technologies used in order to explain why the costs of innovation are not barriers for artisan-entrepreneurs.