Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio chaired the third meeting of the High-Level Task Force on Handloom and Handicrafts of the North Eastern Region on December 19 to review the final draft report on the sector. In a social media post, Rio noted steady progress since the first meeting in July and the second session held in September. He reaffirmed the vision to transform the North East into a globally recognized, sustainable, and culturally vibrant hub for handlooms and handicrafts, aiming to create sustainable livelihoods and preserve cultural heritage.
Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, participated in the meeting alongside other key officials. The session included Dr Sukanta Majumdar, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Nandita Garlosa, Assam’s Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare; F. Rodingliana, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Mizoram; as well as senior officers from Manipur’s government and the Ministry of Textiles.
The discussion focused on a cluster-based development approach to strengthen the entire value chain, ensuring sustainable and remunerative livelihoods for artisans. Key areas included skill upgradation through master craftsman training, quality testing and certification, promotion of sustainable natural fibers and dyes, and integration with e-commerce platforms for domestic and export markets.
Jyotiraditya M Scindia emphasized that the Ministry of Textiles should take leadership from a handloom and handicrafts perspective, starting with one handloom and one handicraft product to demonstrate success. The task force discussed the importance of developing the value chain based on market demand, product differentiation, and integrating markets and buyers.
The meeting also highlighted the need for on-ground support, proposing one resource person per cluster and a buyer representative to align production with market requirements. Scindia stated, “By bringing all stakeholders into the value chain, we will be able to see, over the next 2–3 years, how the income of artisans grows. The key question is what impact our interventions will have on the weavers. Our end objective is to ensure that this project brings long term benefit to artisans. Handloom and handicrafts are art forms and India’s wealth. Handmade products are witnessing unprecedented value, comparable to precious stones. India must not only preserve this heritage but make it truly remunerative for its artisans.”
