CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to introduce high-quality dhotis and sarees with more cotton content and colour options under the Pongal gift scheme for 2027, marking the first major upgrade in their design and quality in more than a decade.
According to officials, the redesigned garments will be relatively more durable, comfortable and attractive. They also said the new specifications would support higher yarn production in cooperative spinning mills and help speed up manufacturing.
Under the revised plan, sarees will be woven using improved 60s policot yarn — which has polyester and cotton in the ratio of 80:20 compared to the earlier 90:10 ratio — with silver or copper-coloured polyester borders.
This higher cotton mix will make it comfortable for wearing during summers and the colour of the saree will also be brighter. Apart from the usual colours of light blue, pink and ivory white, the new free sarees will also be available in green colour.
The new dhotis, too, will be made from improved 40s grey poly-cotton yarn with 65:35 polyester-cotton mix compared to the 80:20 mix earlier. The dhotis will have coloured polyester borders, measuring two metres in length and 50 inches in width. Unlike earlier, the dhotis will be supplied after being washed. The sarees, as usual, will be 5.5 metres long and 45 inches wide.
‘Weavers likely to receive payments on time’
According to a government order issued by the Department of Handlooms and Khadi on July 1, the government has approved the production of redesigned garments through handloom and powerloom weavers’ cooperative societies.
The decision follows discussions involving Handlooms Minister M Vijay Balaji, senior officials and the director of handlooms. Officials said this is the first significant change in the quality and appearance of the free sarees since 2013-14.
For Pongal 2027, the government has retained the production target at 177.64 lakh sarees and 177.22 lakh dhotis, the same as in the previous three years. Although district collectors sought over 2.27 crore sarees and 2.25 crore dhotis based on demand, the target was kept unchanged because of the limited time available to introduce the new designs.
The handlooms department has been authorised to implement the scheme. Co-optex and the TN Textile Corporation (TNTC) will procure the garments from weavers’ societies and supply them to the TN Civil Supplies Corporation warehouses for distribution.
To ensure timely production, the government has allowed yarn procurement through short-term tenders.
Unsold stock from the Pongal 2026 scheme will be distributed to old-age pension beneficiaries during Deepavali 2026, while the remaining stock will be used for other government purposes.
The total cost of the Pongal gift scheme for 2027 has been estimated at Rs 642.88 crore. Of the Rs 606.94 crore allocated in the 2026-27 budget, the government has already released Rs 300 crore as the first instalment to begin production.
Welcoming the move, Thari Adaiyagam’s S Shanmugam, a weaver, told TNIE, “The new designs will improve the look and feel. Since the government has released the funds well in advance, weavers are also likely to receive their payments on time. This will benefit both the weavers and the people who receive the Pongal gift package.”
