'Handloom Weavers' Co-operatives in Andhra Pradesh Kanakalatha Mukund B Syamasundari Handloom co-operatives in Andhra Pradesh traditionally the major handloom weaving region of India are in decline. On the basis of case studies of four weavers' co-operative societies and other data the article finds that competition from powerlooms can only partly explain the decline of handloom, as there is a new and growing market for handloom. By far the more serious reason is politicisation of co-operative societies and government and bureaucratic control.