Summits & Meetings - Current Affairs for January, 2017

The Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the 1st North East Investors’ Summit, organized jointly by the Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of DoNER.

This was at the State Convention Centre, in Shillong on 29th Jan 2017.

The Summit is being organized exclusively for the North Eastern Region, focusing on manufacturing in textiles and allied sectors.

It aims to showcase the region as a global destination for investment and explore the possibility of convergence of efforts of various central Ministries and North Eastern States in attracting investment into the region.

'India Handmade Bazaar', an online portal, which will provide direct market access facility to handloom weavers & handicraft artisans was launched.

The portal will facilitate weavers & artisans to enter information about their products for easy understanding of customers/exporters.

Weavers and artisans will be able to access the portal through their mobile number registered with Office of Development Commissioner.

The mobile number can be registered by visiting nearest Weavers' Service Centre & Marketing Centre as well.

Buyers can view the products online and directly contact weaver/artisan to enquire or place an order.

Nearly 20 MoUs were signed on the occasion, to develop & promote NER handicrafts, handlooms, agro-textiles & geo-textiles.

E-Dhaga app and the ‘Bunkar Mitra’ helpline have been established for artisans. With E-Dhaga, subsidy is just a click away for the weavers.

The app, which enables handloom weavers to order and track their yarn, will be a boon for handloom weavers. T

This would enable them to transact business anytime, anywhere; weavers can send their indents and payments online through this app.

On January 4, 2017 the Ministry launched ‘Bunkar Mitra’, the first ever helpline for handloom weavers.

Apparel and Garment Making Centre: Know More

• The first Apparel and Garment Making Centre, covering an area of 45,000 sq. ft, has been set up at Hatisil near Ampati in the NE state of Meghalaya.
• The Apparel and Garment Making Centre is being set up as part of a landmark initiative announced by the PM Shri Narendra Modi in Nagaland, on 1st December, 2014.
• PM Modi had announced an Apparel and Garment Making Centre shall be constructed in all North Eastern states.
• Each Apparel and Garment Making Centre set up under the initiative is estimated to generate direct employment for 1,200 people.
• The initiative comes under the North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS) of the Ministry of Textiles.
• NERTPS is an umbrella scheme for the development of various segments of textiles, i.e. silk, handlooms, handicrafts and apparels & garments.