Guwahati: North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation Ltd (NEHHDC) has recently launched the Jewellery and Handicrafts Livelihood Business Incubator, a pioneering effort to push the jewellery and handicraft industry forward in the region. This innovative effort to train artisans, create job opportunities, and introduce Northeast's traditional jewellery into the markets is being supported by the Ministry of MSME.
Speaking to Business North East (BNE), Sriparna Baruah, Advisor to NEHHDC, highlighted the importance of this incubator. “This is one of a kind in the entire region because, while we have many incubators in various sectors, none focus on jewellery and handicrafts. We see this as a major skilling and employment-generating initiative,” she stated.
As per Baruah, Northeastern jewellery remains a mostly untapped area, both in the country and abroad. "Every state in the Northeast boasts its unique jewellery customs, yet not much effort has been made to showcase them. Be it Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, or Manipur, jewellery made here has not gained recognition beyond local markets," she said while adding that through this incubator, they can introduce interventions in design, skill enhancement, and market linkages for artisans to acquire every form of support for scaling.
“The Ministry of MSME has provided machinery and some operational expenses. We are now looking at collaborations with various ecosystem partners. Organizations like NEDFi, NABARD, and IIE have already shown interest in working with us to maximize outreach,” Baruah stated while addressing the funding aspect of the initiative.
The incubator will also have sustainable jewellery in focus, another emerging sector of great potential for the Northeast. "There is a huge scope for sustainable jewellery here. However, jewellery-making in this region suffers from three key constraints: finishing, design, and quality of raw materials. If we can address these issues, there is no reason why Northeast Jewellery cannot make its mark in the international market," she added.
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NEHHDC has also taken adequate actions to provide artisans with better access to raw materials. "We have a proposal for having a raw material bank, under which quality material can be availed easily. We have further approached the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) for assistance in funding various training and skill development initiatives also," Baruah said.
Rajiv Kumar Singh (Brigadier), Managing Director of NEHHDC, underscored the significance of the initiative in transforming local livelihoods. “As the name suggests, this is a livelihood business incubator. It not only supports existing artisans but also encourages the younger generation to consider jewellery and handicrafts as a viable career option,” he told BNE.
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Singh further elaborated on the collaborations that NEHHDC has with national institutes. "We have developed linkages with the Gems and Jewellery Institute of Jaipur and the Sector Skills Council of Gems and Jewellery. These are going to provide artisans with technical knowledge and insight into industry best practices."
He further mentioned that the idea is to create an ecosystem where artisans will be able to sustain business, mentor others and help them get employment so that the ripple effect sets in and economic growth occurs.
This NEHHDC incubator will help change the jewellery and handicrafts sector in the Northeast by providing resources, training, and market access for artisans to grow within their trade.
FIRST Business Portal addressing the potential of business capability of North East Region.
