Nonagenarian who introduced Amritsar to shuttleless looms

If we talk of the city’s transition from a trading hub of shawls to a major manufacturer, the first name that comes to our mind is that of Piara Lal Seth.

In 1949, the 92-year-old’s family opened their first store in Srinagar. Seven years later (in 1956), after the power loom made its entry into the city, Seth started the yarn manufacturing here. “We used to import fabric for shawls from France and other foreign countries; and sell shawls in the Valley,” Seth said.

At 13, he saw his factory reduce to ashes. “Thereafter, my father — Lala Maya Ram Seth — started imparting training to those interested in embroidery, dyeing and allied jobs. The initiative soon bore results, with most getting employed,” he said.

Years after power looms spread across the industrial map of the city, the Ministry of Commerce introduced an export policy in the early 60s. It paved the way for exports from the holy city to land-locked Pakistan.

Seth said his company managed to export shawls worth Rs 65 lakh in 1963 just before the withdrawal of export licences.

Appreciating the business community, Seth said over the years, traders had transformed the city into a shawl manufacturing hub. Even Kashmiri traders now buy shawls made in Amritsar. A couple of years back, the city exported shawls worth Rs 500 crore annually.

Piara Lal Seth, managing director, Apollo Shawls, deals in manufacturing, export and trading of shawls, stoles, scarves.

He is credited with introducing shuttleless looms with electronic jacquard, procured from Europe in the late 90s. Now, the city boasts of 600 shuttleless looms. “In the city, I took the lead to import two looms worth Rs 1.50 crore from Belgium at that time,” Seth said.

The nonagenarian’s biography has been penned by Deep Jagdeep Singh, who heads the Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, and has been taking up the grievances of traders with the state and Central governments.