Co-optex handloom saris, dhotis and bedsheets are on special rebate of up to 30% in the run-up to Deepavali 2026, and the cooperative has set itself a Deepavali sales target of Rs 100 crore, decided at a review meeting chaired by Handlooms Minister M. Vijay Balaji at its Egmore head office on 23 September, Daily Thanthi reported. The higher rebate is a state-funded seasonal scheme, so timing your purchase matters.
Co-optex, the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Society, was founded in 1935 and is the apex body for 1,114 primary weavers’ societies in the state, according to the handlooms department’s 2024-25 policy note. It ran 150 showrooms across India and recorded retail sales of Rs 215 crore in 2023-24, up from Rs 201 crore the year before.
How the rebate works
The policy note sets out two layers of discount on handloom cloth sold by Co-optex and the primary societies:
- All year: a rebate of up to 20%, capped at Rs 100 per unit for cotton and Rs 200 per unit for silk.
- Festival season: an extra 10%, taking the total to 30%, capped at Rs 150 for cotton and Rs 300 for silk. The policy note gives the window as 139 days, from 15 September to 31 January, which covers Deepavali and Pongal.
The state pays for the rebate through the budget: Rs 250 crore was released in 2023-24 and the same amount provided for 2024-25. The per-piece caps mean the full 30% applies mainly to lower-priced items. On a costly Kanchipuram silk sari, the saving is limited to the Rs 300 ceiling, so check the price tag and bill.
Dates for 2026 are reported differently at district launches. At the Salem launch on 3 October, Co-optex staff gave the special sale period as 15 September to 30 November 2026, ETV Bharat reported. Ask at your showroom whether the higher rebate continues into the Pongal season this year.
What to buy
The Salem launch highlighted Kanchipuram, Arani, Salem and Thirubuvanam silk saris with real zari, new cotton sari designs from several weaving centres, and bedsheets, dhotis, lungis, towels and shirts. Export-quality aprons, cushion covers and table mats are also stocked. Co-optex has in recent years added kurtis, stoles, quilts and organic cotton lines, and themed collections such as an MS blue range in 2015 and a Rukmini Devi Arundale collection in 2017, according to Citizen Matters.
Where to buy in Chennai
- Showrooms: Co-optex has outlets across the city. Its head office is in Egmore, and its Egmore showroom shares premises with the Handloom Cafe, which opened in August 2020. Ring ahead for festival-season hours.
- Online: the policy note says online sales were extended to all 150 showrooms in March 2024, with about 5,000 products listed. The old cooptex.gov.in address now redirects to cooptex.com.
- Exhibitions: a special handloom expo was among the department’s plans announced in September 2026; watch for dates.
The showroom count may change. In September 2026, the minister told the Assembly that Co-optex would open franchise-model showrooms and multi-brand outlets in India and abroad, DT Next reported, alongside a silk export trade facilitation centre in Kanchipuram and a design studio in Thanjavur.
Why buying handloom helps weavers
Tamil Nadu had about 1.91 lakh handlooms and 2.44 lakh weavers and allied workers, of whom 1.18 lakh were in the cooperative fold, according to the policy note. About 60% of the workforce is women. Co-optex markets the cloth woven by members of the primary societies, so its retail sales feed back into weaving work. The department’s welfare measures for weavers, as listed in 2024-25, include:
- Free electricity of 300 units every two months for handloom weavers, raised from March 2023.
- Old age pension and family pension of Rs 1,200 a month from August 2023.
- Assistance through the Handloom Weavers’ Welfare Board.
The sums involved are significant. In 2023-24, the department allocated Rs 12.48 crore to cover free electricity for 75,364 weavers, sanctioned Rs 40.13 crore in old age pensions for 28,108 weavers, and released Rs 30.94 crore through the welfare board to 18,260 beneficiaries, according to the policy note.
Co-optex is also one of three nodal agencies for the state’s free sari and dhoti scheme, started in 1983, which distributes cloth at Pongal through taluk offices. For Pongal 2024, the state ordered 1.77 crore saris and 1.77 crore dhotis and had them sent to all 317 taluks before 31 December 2023. Its festive-season retail sales are separate from that scheme.
Quick answers
What is the Co-optex discount for Deepavali 2026?
Up to 30%, with per-piece caps of Rs 150 for cotton and Rs 300 for silk under the state rebate scheme.
When does the Co-optex rebate season run?
The policy note gives 15 September to 31 January. A 2026 district launch gave 15 September to 30 November, so confirm at the showroom.
Can I buy Co-optex online?
Yes. Online sales cover all showrooms, and the site now runs at cooptex.com.
How old is Co-optex?
It was founded in 1935.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Policy Note 2024-25, Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Co-optex (Department of Handlooms and Textiles, Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Co-optex Diwali sales target set at Rs 100 crore (Daily Thanthi, September 2026)
- Co-optex Deepavali special discount sale begins in Salem (ETV Bharat Tamil Nadu, October 2026)
- Eye on foreign markets: Co-optex plans franchise stores, multi-brand outlets (DT Next, September 2026)
- The journey of a brand inseparable from Chennai: Co-optex (Citizen Matters, October 2020)
