SHILLONG: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday highlighted the need for youths of North East to retain the handloom craft through use of available design technology so as to minimise the challenges that the weaving community faces in sustaining the handloom sector.
Irani was speaking at an e-symposium on handloom which was organised by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research & Analysis under the aegis of IIM Shillong.
“The government, at the ministry level, is encouraging a lot of people to come together as producer companies,” she said, while also highlighting one of the major challenges of people positioning themselves as master craftsperson, who are not necessarily producers but only serve as a go-between, between the market and the actual weaver.
Highlighting the government initiatives towards credit facilities such as Mudra Yojana, she said post access to the scheme, a weaver’s income increases by at least 50 to 60 per cent, “which means we need more and more research that can build credibility to such outreach programmes”.
“Today, when sustainability has become the buzzword not only for manufacturers, buying agents and international chains, there has to be a more systemic approach on how to make handlooms a better business opportunity given the semblance of pride in the handloom legacy of our country, particularly the North East, while also trying to understand the issues that ail this particular sector that we are today talking about,” the Union minister said.
Others who spoke during the function include Chairman of the Board of Governors, IIM Shillong, Shishir Bajoria, Director of IIM Shillong, Prof DP Goyal, Centre Coordinator, Keya Sengupta, Jahnabi Phookan National President, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) and Asomee Dutta Baruah, Secretary, Sreemanta Sankar Mission of Guwahati & Head (NE Region) of the WEP, NITI Aayog.
