Guwahati: The Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM), which has 38 lakh beneficiaries, aims to improve women’s lives in Assam both socially and economically. With this aim, it has partnered with the North East Handloom and Handcraft Development Corporation (NEHHDC) for a four-day training workshop from August 30 to September 2.

The workshop was on packaging to help diversify the businesses and make them more sustainable. The workshop was open to all the 34 district offices across Assam. The Indian Institute of Packaging, Kolkata, is another stakeholder.

ASRLM mission director Krishna Baruah said, “We have been trying to reach out to the women in Assam by organising Self Help Groups (SHGs).” The training session’s aim is to provide women and their businesses with sustainable marketing strategies, such as effective packaging, that can increase their sales over the long haul. For effective marketing, packaging needs specific consideration. The packing techniques used here are incompatible with women.

According to Baruah, once women start their own businesses, they must diversify in order to survive in the marketplace.

“We aim to conduct additional training sessions utilizing items like water hyacinth and other like ones to help firms diversify, Baruah continued. Last month, we signed an MoU with NEHHDC and using a moving vehicle to display our products,” Baruah said.

Along with ASRLM, NorthEast Farms Sales Promotion contributed greatly to the training. According to Bhanu Pratap Singh, founder of NorthEast Farms Sales Promotion, through their partnership, ASRLM will be given access to training sessions aimed at boosting their potential. They will also procure raw materials.

According to Sriparna Baruah, Adviser to Livelihood and Entrepreneurship, the purpose of the training program was to educate participants on the value of packaging to businesses. Faculty from IIP, a prestigious institute in India, were invited to serve as workshop trainers as a part of collaboration between NEHHDC and IIP. In order to promote economic growth and increase state empowerment, we plan to host more of these workshops.

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