The Handloom Societies in Andhra Pradesh are organised as a two-tier structure with the Primary Societies in the village level called Primary Handloom Weavers' Cooperative Societies (PHWCS) and the APEX Society at the State Level called A.P. State Handloom Weavers' Cooperative Society Ltd., (APSHWCS), popularly known as APCO. This Society is established with the main objective of providing marketing support to the PWCS. Further, the Government is aware that protection to the sector is required to be continued because of the pious obligation to protect the heritage of the State and support is required to be continued to offset the built-in cost handicap of the handlooms, the focus of all its policy has been to provide a level playing field so as to enable the weaver to stand up on his own and face the market in a level playing field.

Management of APCO

The APEX Society is managed by a Board of Management comprising 31 Directors representing each of the 28 Districts, a representative of APCO and seven official Directors including the Managing Director as Ex-officio Director and Vice-Chairman. The term of the elected Managing Committee is 5 years. APCO has 10 Divisional Marketing Offices in all major districts with a total support staff of 466 employees. 1136 Nos of Primary Weavers’ CO-operative Societies and Mutually Aided Weavers’ Co-operative Societies are affiliated to APCO supporting the backward linkage of production of handloom goods.

APCO- Empowering Artisans Since 1976

The love for handlooms is never-ending and the fascinating art has a vibe that is more than meets the eye. Handlooms have been a part of our cultural heritage for generations, and the skilled artisans and families have dedicated themselves to keeping the traditional art form alive. The glorious art of handloom weavers is flourishing and appreciated by the few-many avant-garde, who, despite the global outlook, have an aesthetic sense deeply rooted in tradition. Regardless of how beautiful handloom art is, artists are having difficulty marketing and gaining input. To embrace the traditionalism rooted in the artistic heritage of Andhra Pradesh and to empower the weavers in every way possible, the Andhra Pradesh government has set up APCO for the upliftment of the handloom community which has been strenuously working for 48 years.

APCO has come into force with the ethos of reviving the fading handloom structure of our state. In order to achieve the dream of handlooms flourishing, APCO is supporting the livelihoods of a number of weavers and artisans wor king under 1052-Primary Weavers Co-operative Societies. The aim is to bring handlooms back into vogue and entice you to start an everlasting worship of handicrafts. The purpose is intended to preserve the authenticity of weavers’ craft and increase awareness of the tremendous labour-intensive process that is involved in making the treasures. By providing the necessary support and commitment to empower them financially, this would enable them to carry forward their unique skills without the need to seek alternative employment, at the same time providing a global presence for ancient traditional weaves of Andhra Pradesh.