Textiles Ministry & NE States: Handloom Potential

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday emphasised the need for collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Textiles and eight northeastern states, advocating for collaborative pilot projects through dedicated state-level working groups to realise the untapped potential of the region's handloom and handicrafts sector.

Addressing a high-level task force meeting on Promotion of Handloom & Handicrafts in North Eastern Region, Scindia, the Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), reiterated six key action points: Product Identification, Cluster-Based Development, Market Linkages, Common Facility Centers, Roadmap Development, and Gap Analysis & Public-Private Participation to develop this sector.

"A phased approach was proposed, involving the development of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year plans. Initially, the focus would be on identifying at least one iconic handloom and one handicraft product collectively for all eight states, with a future phase aimed at highlighting each state's unique products, thus promoting NER's handloom and handicrafts products and fostering economic growth in the region," the textiles ministry said in a statement.

Addressing the meeting virtually, which was convened under the chairmanship of Nagaland Chief Minister Pu Neiphiu Rio, Scindia asserted, "We must adopt whole-of-government approach in the development of this crucial sector. The Ministry of Textiles must coordinate with state governments through the formation of a working group, bring markets to our artisans in the North East, collaborate with each state government to prepare tailor-made plans, and strengthen capacities on the ground."

The Union minister further laid out a roadmap for developing the Handloom & Handicrafts ecosystem in NER.

He suggested that at least one handloom and one handicraft pilot project for all northeastern states should be initiated by November-December, and work should commence accordingly.