Umadevi Naidu

Indian textile innovator who revived traditional weaving techniques to empower rural women

Umadevi Naidu (1928-2005) transformed India's handloom industry through her revival of the Varma Kambham weaving technique, an ancient method nearly lost by the mid-20th century. Born into a weaver's family in Andhra Pradesh, she recognized the economic potential of traditional crafts for rural women's empowerment. After studying textile engineering in Madras (now Chennai), she returned to her village in 1955 to establish the first women's weaving cooperative.

Her key contributions included:

• Documenting 127 traditional weaving patterns through Loom Heritage Project
• Developing chemical-free natural dyes from local plants
• Creating export markets for handloom products through her brand Natyam Textiles

By 1970, her cooperative employed 300 women and generated $250,000 annually - a significant figure at the time. Naidu's work influenced the 1972 Handloom Reservation Act and inspired the Women Weavers of India movement. Her story is chronicled in Threads of Empowerment (2010), a documentary now available on Vimeo.