By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 13: On the heels of the successful showcasing of the state’s Ryndia handloom products at the G20 International Crafts Bazar, the Department of Textiles has launched a pilot project on “Digitalisation of handloom” products at the Umden-Diwon Eri Silk Village.
The project is in collaboration with the North East Handloom & Handicraft Development Corporation (NEHHDC).
Commissioner and Secretary, FR Kharkongor underscored the urgent need and importance of blending technology and tradition – from the loom to home and from the thread to trend.
He said he received messages from New Delhi alerting him about some non-local entrepreneurs who were fraudulently marketing fake pieces of Meghalaya eri (Ryndia) silk in Delhi and charging Rs 19,500-24,000 per piece.
These unscrupulous traders have been damaging the reputation of Meghalaya by claiming they were selling organically produced, naturally dyed and gender-driven Ryndia stoles, Kharkongor said.
He said artificial intelligence or AI-driven technology and QR codes will now be woven into the handmade fabric to carry information about the authenticity of the unique handloom products of the state in general and the eri silk village in particular.
RK Singh, the managing director of NEHHDC welcomed the technology-driven collaboration with the Department of Textiles and said the corporation has set a target of covering more than 10,000 looms across the Northeast.
“Once a buyer scans the QR code, he will get to know about the origin of the product, and type of yarn, and through a small video see how the product was woven and where it was woven. This traceability while authenticating the inherent unique and superior quality of Meghalaya’s handloom products, will provide wider recognition of the skill and dexterity of its nimble women weavers,” he said.
Singh said that with the launch of the project, some 500 weavers in Meghalaya would be adopted with a focus on the silk village through, “Market development through digitalisation, authentication and traceability implementation in the handloom sector.”