- NEHHDC–FWWB partnership seeks to transform traditional skills into sustainable, market-linked women-led enterprises across the North-Eastern states
- Three-year non-financial convergence programme to combine institutional support, enterprise development, financial readiness and market access
- Women artisans, weavers, SHG members, home-based producers and craft entrepreneurs to benefit from skill upgradation, product development and quality enhancement
- Purbashree, e-commerce platforms, institutional sales, exhibitions and buyer–seller events to open wider market opportunities for North-East craft communities
NE FEATURES BUREAU
GUWAHATI, ASSAM, JULY 23
For generations, the women of the North East have transformed threads into textiles, tradition into craft and inherited skills into products that carry the cultural identity of one of India’s most diverse regions.
But for many of them, the journey from crafting a product to earning a sustainable livelihood remains incomplete. Limited market access, inadequate financial preparedness, weak institutional linkages and gaps in quality, packaging and digital readiness often prevent exceptional craftsmanship from reaching its full economic potential.
A new partnership seeks to change that equation.
The North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC), a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Government of India, and Friends of Women’s World Banking, India (FWWB), a national-level not-for-profit organisation working towards the economic empowerment of women, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen women artisans and weavers across the North Eastern states.
The MoU was signed by Mara Kocho (IES), Managing Director, NEHHDC, and Neha Kansara, Chief Operating Officer, FWWB, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations.
The collaboration marks the formal launch of a three-year programme aimed at helping women artisans and weavers become financially capable, enterprise-ready, quality-conscious and market-linked producers across the eight North Eastern states.
From traditional skill to market-ready enterprise
The partnership brings together NEHHDC’s regional mandate, institutional platforms and extensive networks with FWWB’s community-level mobilisation and enterprise-development expertise.
Under the MoU, the two organisations will jointly work on:
- Cluster mapping and artisan mobilisation
- Financial education and enterprise-finance readiness
- Entrepreneurship development
- Craft-linked skill upgradation and product development
- Quality enhancement, packaging and catalogue readiness
- Market linkage and buyer connections
- Convergence with government schemes and social-security initiatives
The partnership will also facilitate women artisans and weavers in accessing NEHHDC offerings, including Purbashree, retail and e-commerce platforms, institutional sales, exhibitions, buyer–seller events, skill-development programmes, textile testing facilities and yarn and raw-material support.
The larger objective is to ensure that women artisans are not confined to production alone but are equipped to understand the complete value chain—from design and quality to pricing, finance, branding, digital readiness and market access.
A three-year roadmap for women-led economic empowerment
The partnership will focus on the North Eastern states, with specific states, districts and artisan clusters to be jointly identified through an Annual Work Plan.
The programme will run for three years from the date of signing and may be renewed through mutual written consent.
The partnership is structured as a non-financial convergence and technical collaboration. NEHHDC will provide institutional support and facilitation, while FWWB will meet programme costs from its own resources or funds mobilised by it.
A Joint Review Committee (JRC) comprising representatives from both organisations will meet at least once every quarter to review progress, assess outcomes and provide strategic guidance.
The primary participants will include:
- Women artisans
- Weavers
- Self-Help Group (SHG) members
- Home-based producers
- Craft-based micro-entrepreneur
‘From production to sustainable, market-linked livelihoods’
Mara Kocho (IES), Managing Director, NEHHDC, said: “This partnership with FWWB is an important step in strengthening the enterprise capabilities of women artisans and weavers across the North East. By combining NEHHDC’s platforms and networks with FWWB’s grassroots enterprise-development experience, we hope to help our artisans move beyond production to sustainable, market-linked livelihoods.”
Neha Kansara, Chief Operating Officer, FWWB, said: “Women artisans and weavers in the North East have exceptional traditional skill and craftsmanship. What they often lack is consistent access to markets, finance and institutional support. This collaboration with NEHHDC allows us to prepare women thoroughly on quality, pricing, digital readiness and credit before linking them to the market opportunities NEHHDC offers.”
The partnership seeks to bridge the crucial gap between craftsmanship and commerce. By strengthening financial capability, enterprise readiness and market connections, it aims to ensure that the North East’s rich craft traditions do not merely survive—but generate stronger, more sustainable livelihoods for the women who keep them alive.
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