IndIan InstItute of ManageMent shIllong

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis Presents

IIM Shillong e-Symposium 2020

HandloomSector

IN THE EMERGENT NORTH-EAST INDIA :STRATEGIc AND DEvElOpMENTAl IMpERATIvES

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India’s northeast is a fascinating mosaic of diverse ethnic groups with a rich cultural heritage and exceptionally pristine bio diversity. Strategically located, the region has attracted migration over the centuries and today it is home to people who speak a few hundred languages with each boasting of their own unique culture and heritage which often finds reflection in their handloom products. The states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, which constitute the north eastern region of India, each have a tradition of handloom that dates back centuries. Unique yarns, be it cotton, wool or silk, with motifs and designs that are representative of cultural identity makes the handloom produced in the region much more than a piece of apparel.

All through history, the handloom sector has played an important role in not only economic development but also cultural expression. Interestingly, this sector has the pride of being the country’s second largest

Prologueemployment provider, being only next to agriculture. Gandhiji was suitably impressed by the handloom tradition of the region and commented that the “maidens of lovely Assam weave poems on their looms”. The magic effects of their weaves not only enable them in sustaining their families but also serves as an important means of livelihood for tens of thousands of individuals at various stages of the value chain.

The handloom sector in the north east is unique in that almost all families, especially in states such as Assam and Manipur possess their own handlooms while in the other states, the use of loin looms or back strap looms are almost universal. Another interesting aspect of the handloom sector in the region is that weaving is not a caste specific occupation and is universally practiced in all homes. This is reflective of a tradition whereby women normally produced all the cloth required for the family. In addition to meeting the fabric requirement for personal and home use,

the handloom sector also helped fostered the industrial development of the northeast states.

The fact that the region has a congenial climate for the growth and development of the sericulture industry, and is home to a number of silk varieties that are unique to this region. It includes the golden silk Muga given the Geographical Indication (GI) status since 2007, the ahimsa silk Endi, which does not require the killing of the silk worm to extract its cocoon silk and other varieties such as Pat, Oak Tassar, and other mulberrysilk varieties. Indigenous varieties of cotton like Comilla Cotton, wool, and a large variety of vegetable dyes certainly add considerable depth to this sector. But the jewel in the crown of the handloom sector is the rich variety of traditional designs and motifs that the looms of the north east has been producing for hundreds of years.

Handloom

Insights on the production of major Handloom items and Fabrics

As per the 4th all India Handloom census 2019-20 the count of handloom units is linked with the choice of which fabric are considered major. The count of major fabrics produced by North eastern States is significant. The production information of such fabric provides an understanding of the specialization in terms of fabrics in different states of North East Region.

Handloom Item Rank in Top 5 States Share of Overall Production

Remarks

Saree 4th Assam 7.8% Silk Sarees from Assam & Tripuradominates. Together top 5 States accountfor 78.6% of the handloom saree production in the country.

5th Tripura 7%

Shawls, Mekhla Chadder, Loi, stole, scarf, muffler

1st Assam 77.4% The single State of Assam accounts for the bulk of the production of shawls (etc.).

The top 5 places are occupied by the North east States together accounting for 93% of total Shawls, Mekhla Chadder etc. production.

2nd Manipur 4.9%

3rd Arunachal Pradesh 4.6%

4th Nagaland 3.7%

5th Meghalaya 2.3%

Angavastram, dhoti,sarong, lungi

1st Assam 42.6% Four north eastern States, led by Assam’s Angavastram (an integral element in the traditional worship at the Kamakhya temple, account for 78.5% of the production of these major fabrics. The only other State with a sizeable production is Tamil Nadu which is a major Angavastram producing State.

2nd Manipur 19.1%

3rd Tripura 11.1%

4th Arunachal Pradesh 5.7%

Towel, napkin, duster, gamcha

1st Assam 72.4% North East States completely dominate theproduction of towels, cloth napkins anddusters. Together they account for 81.7% of the productionin the country.

3rd Manipur 4.2%

4th Meghalaya 2.9%

5th Tripura 2.2%

Major Fabric Rank in Top 5 States Share of Overall Production

Remarks

Dress material (Salwar,kameez, etc.), suiting,shirting, long cloth

1st Assam 23.6% The production of dress materials is morewidely spread than most other majorfabrics, even though close to 54% ofthe production continues to come fromthe north eastern States.

2nd Manipur 17.3%

3rd Tripura 13.2%

Bedsheet, furnishings,blankets

1st Assam 26.8% Having the largest numberof looms and weavers, Assam again dominates as the largest handloom-basedhome décor production.

3rd Manipur 14.5%

Allothers, including surgical bandage

1st Assam 27.5% Top 5 States totally account for 74.3% of the all other handloom fabrics including bandages, with Assam and Manipur alone accounting for 40.6% of the country’s production.

3rd Manipur 13.1%

• Source:AllIndiaHandloomCensus2019-20Report

The north eastern states have traditionally produced different types of types of yarns and fabrics that attained name and fame all over the world. Mention may be made of its unique cotton and silk.

• Cotton:AssamComilla/Bangladeshicottonsareonlyexportedbyleading international brands. Assam Comilla cotton is traded much below the Minimum support price mainly because of absence of procurement centres of cotton by Cotton Corporation of India in north-eastern states (CCI, 2015).

“BangladeshiCottonhavingbigballsproducedinmixedcroppingsituationsunderpesticidefreeenvironmentinnortheastdominatingwithMeghalaya,Assam,MizoramandTripura,inJhumcultivation.”

The industrial revolution in the west that has shaped the trajectory of the modern industrial world was started in the handloom sector. Interestingly this very same handloom sector has the potential to initiate an economic revolution in the region. Probably, in a post Covid world, where the economy has taken a beating and workers, who were earning their livelihood in distant places returning home, the pressure on governments to generate revenue and employment is higher than ever before. In this situation, the Handloom sector can be primed up to boost economic growth and generate employment.

The Handloom sector in the region, in addition to its long tradition also has both skilled manpower as well as the required potential to meet the raw material requirement. What is needed is the requisite intervention in terms finance, appropriate technology introduction, forward and backward linkages. In addition, what would be required is the creation of brandidentity and market linkages. The discussion would focus on all these aspects and more so as to create the necessary traction to enable the Handloom sector to take off.

• Silk: The region is acknowledged as a rich zone of Seri-biodiversity. It constitutes a natural abode for a number of sericigenous insects and their host plants. Thefollowing four varieties of silk produced in the Northeastregion contributes 15 per cent of the total production of silk in the country

a) Muga silk is produced majorly in Assam. The silk is known for its extreme durability and has a natural yellowish-golden tintwith a shimmering, glossy texture. It has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) status since 2007.

“TheCentralSilkBoardof Indiahas theauthority to inspectMugasilkproducts, certifytheirauthenticityandallowtraderstousetheGIlogo.”

b) Pat Silk or Mulberry silk of Assam is a variety of domestic silk. It is usually brilliant white or off-white in color. Its cloth can dry in shadow. The silk has a natural white tint and is known for its durability and glossy texture. Pat silk, like other Assam silks, is used in products like mekhelas, chadors and other textiles.

c) Eri Silk is a fine silk that is almost as white in color as the Bombyx mori silks. It is grown in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh. It is spun from the cocoons of domesticated silkworms Eri silk has the look of wool mixed with cotton but the feel and softness of silk.

“Eri Silk is a “peace silk” or “ahimsa silk” because the Anthereaassamensis silk caterpillars arenot destroyed in the cocoon but areallowedtoemergeasmothsandliveafulllifecycle.”

d) Oak Tasar culture is practiced in the sub-Himalayan belt of Indiaextending NorthWest to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland inthe North-East. In Manipur, its cultivation is practiced in all the districts namely, ImphalEast, Imphal West, Tamenglong, Bishnupur, Churachandpur, Senapati, Chandel, Thoubal and Ukhrul.

“At present, the entire state of Manipur is hovering with sericulture activities as thelargest producer of Oak Tasar in India.”

Capitalizing on core strengths

Conceptual Framework

Inputs Policy Interventions Sustainable DevelopmentOutcomes

Socio-cultural aspects • Weaving as tradition

• Cultural values.

• Unique Local Designing

• Social inclusion

Environmental aspects• Unique ecology

• Culture & Heritage • Design Support • Employment Generation

• Skill Building & Upgradation

• Driver of Economic Growth

• Enhancing Competitiveness

• Galvanizing International Trade Relations

• Fostering entrepreneurship

• Digital Technologies

• Data Driven Strategies

• Marketing• Product Customization • Branding

• Supply of raw materials

• Technological Upgrade

• Finance and Credit Needs

• Patents and GI

Economic aspects• Specialized labor available

• Huge demand

• Distinct products

From a historical context, the handloom sector in the Indian context has been widely acknowledged as being resilient and sustainable. In addition, for generation this sector has provided ample employment opportunities. In this regard, the northeastern states of India constitute the highest concentration of handlooms which is very often considered as symbolic of the traditional sector. A huge number of households are engaged in weaving and the majority being women. Quite a large percentage of women have emerged as entrepreneurs who operate looms in their homes while running it as traditional micro-enterprises. Various factors govern the loom production such as the number and type of looms including capacity utilization. The socio-cultural aspects of life are greatly influenced by the tradition of weaving. Interestingly almost all communities as well as tribal groups have their unique styles and weaving is the common thread that seems to bind all these communities together. A unique characteristic of the weaving is that most of the designs and color combinationare a consequence of the evolutionary process. It’s not just created by the individual weaver but imbibes in itself an unique style that is of utmost cultural significance. Different designs and motifs of textiles reflects the inherited rituals and socio- religious life of the ethnic groups of the North-Eastern India. Each individual weaver engages in carving and developing a canvas of designs reflective of creativity while keeping in mind the traditional

norms. One can easily witness the inspiration from nature in the designs such as that of snake markings or design of butterfly wing or black and white of human eye or the use of geometrical patterns. The weaving in the NER states thus, completely differs from the other states of India. Despite the availability of the skilled labor specialized in handloom weaving; there exists the need to harness the potential of the people of the region for meeting the demands of the customers at regional and global level.

Several interventions need to be adopted by government and organizational policymakers for greater exposure and visibility of the rich tradition and skills of the weaving industry in NER at various levels. Also, there is a need to further, explore the potential opportunities and challenges in the North East Region to explore innovative and effective solutions to achieve sustainability goals specifically with reference to the handloom sector. The e-Symposium Series is conceived as a global platform that brings together policymakers, scholars, practitioners, institutions, corporates and civil society on one platform. The idea is to create the proper ambience to discuss and deliberate on the current status of the handloom sector and arrive at specific interventions to fill the existing gaps through strengthening and capitalizing on the strengths of the rich tradition and heritage of handloom in the north eastern states.

The Role of IIM Shillong on Development of the North East Region of IndiaLocated in the green contours of North Eastern part of the country, IIM Shillong, which commenced operations in 2008, remains committed to its goal of excellence in management education and research to evolve into a nationally and internationally recognized educational institution. Indian Institutes of Management had been declared as institutes of National importance by the Central Government of India. This brings incredible pride to IIM Shillong along with tremendous responsibility and expectation. Being the only IIM in a region comprising eight states, the responsibility and expectation get compounded exponentially. Normally the mandate of IIMs is to scour for some of the best talent available through a national level selection procedure that is globally considered as one of the toughest. Selected candidates are then groomed, skilled and educated to emerge as responsible leaders with a difference. This exercise is a grueling task that demands allocation of major resources. That IIM Shillong, in addition to this primary function, has added the task of developing the vast and complicated Northeast region of India through the creation of dedicated efforts that speaks volumes about the priorities and principles of this institute. With a commitment towards the development of the region, IIM Shillong started the Centre for the Development of the North Eastern Region (CeDNER) in 2008, the very year the institute was born. The centre is a reflection of the commitment and resolve of the Institute to spearhead a proactive role in the development of the region that is considered beautiful, vast and remote and with a lot of potential for development and growth. IIM Shillong strives to contribute to the inclusive and sustainable development of the north-eastern region and in this pursuit, the institute set up the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis in 2016.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, IIM ShillongThe Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis is envisioned as a proactive embodiment of the philosophy of the late President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, of levering knowledge, technology and humanism to achieving Sustainable Development while also ensuring the goals of a just and equitable Social Order. The Centre was the outcome of a tripartite agreement between Indian Institute of Management, Shillong and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and North Eastern Council (NEC) signed on 15th October 2016. The Centre aims to emerge as a state-of-the-art resource Centre to assist the states of North East India to plan their projects adequately, promote innovations and function as a repository of data and best practices in the region and make policy recommendations. Currently, the policy-related work in the development planning of six critical sectors in the North East states is in progress, viz., logistics, tourism, horticulture, handicraft, handloom and business process outsourcing. The Centre covers all the critical areas of development planning, policy formulation, strategizing and analysis. The Centre aims to emerge as a catalyst for development through action research and analysis. It strives to emerge as an innovation and knowledge hub that will help achieve Sustainable Development of the region. This is expected to be achieved with the inculcation of universal human values, an awakening of indigenous sensitivity and celebration of natural as well as cultural diversity. Further, the Centre would network with various institutes throughout the country and North-east and establish an institutional network to make policy recommendations.

Time Event

12:35 – 12:40 PM Introduction of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis

Prof. Keya Sengupta, CentreCoordinator

12:40 – 01:55 PM

Speakers:

Ms. Renu Abraham, FounderRHHCSL(RenuHandloomsandHandicraftCo-operativeSocietyLtd.),Manipur

Ms. Janessaline Mary Pyngrope, BusinessHead(DanielSyiem’sEthnicFashionHouse),Meghalaya

Ms. Asomee Dutta Baruah, Secretary,SreemantaSankarMissionofGuwahati&Head(NERegion)oftheWEP,NITIAayog

Ms. Anuradha Kuli, FounderNaturallyAnuradha,GuwahatiProf. Monika Aggarwal, Director-NationalInstituteofFashiontechnology,Shillong SessionModerator:

Shri. Atul Kulkarni, ManagementConsultant&BoardMember,IIMShillong

01:55 – 02:10 PM Valedictory Address

02:10 – 02:15 PM Vote of Thanks

Prof. Ridhi Arora, SectoralCoordinator:Handloom

Technical Session

Session PlanIIM Shillong e-Symposia Series

10:30 am - 12:30 pm, 20th July, 2020

Session: 12:35 pm - 02:15 pm, 20th July, 2020

The Handloom Sector: Energizing the potential catalyst for growth and development

Time Event

10:30 - 10:55 AM Activation of Link for the e-Symposium

11:00 - 11.02 AMe-Symposium Initiation

Prof. Sanjeeb Kakoty(SectoralCoordinator,Dr.APJKalamCentreofPolicyResearch&Analysis,IIMShillong)

11:03 - 11:10 AMWelcome Address

Shri. Shishir BajoriaChairman,BoardofGovernors,IIMShillong

11:11 - 11:26 AMThemeSetting:

Shri. Dilip BarooahFounder&MD,FabricPlus

11:27 - 11:42 AMSpecialAddress:

Smt. Jahnabi PhookanNationalPresident,FICCILadiesOrganisation(FLO)andDirectorJTIGroup

11:42- 12:25 PM AddressbyChiefGuest:

Smt. Smriti Zubin IraniHon’bleUnionMinisterofTextilesandWomen&ChildDevelopment

12:25 - 12:30 PM Vote of Thanks Prof. D.P. GoyalDirector,IIMShillong

Expected outcome of the IIM Shillong e-Symposia Series

Collating the experience of more than a decade of working on the ground, IIM Shillong is in the process of reflecting back on its journey so far. While highlighting achievements it is also considered imperative to acknowledge the strategic gaps. While the process of such an evaluation is on, the need for planning and process reengineering has come to the fore. This would require a certain amount of disruptive thinking and innovative solutions. While action research would certainly emerge as the prime vehicle, what is also being actively considered is the creation and implementation of models of sustainable development by engaging with the community.

The expected outcome of the e-symposia series is to contribute to the knowledge body and publish a series of reports on the Current Status, Challenges, Opportunities and Policy Recommendations for North East India. The e-symposia series is further expected to contribute with the prime inputs on the six critical sectors of the NER that would further assist the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre in spearheading its efforts in policy research and analysis in the key areas of development planning, policy formulation and strategizing. Discussions, deliberations and creative engagements during the e-symposia would help the states of North East India and the implementing agencies getting ideas to further improve on the plan and execution of projects, promoting innovations and implementation in the six critical sectors namely logistics, tourism, horticulture, handicraft, handloom and business process outsourcing. The idea would be to delve into commercial viability of the handloom sector service offerings and find ways for market-based planning, private sector engagement, supportive regulatory contact and necessary supporting resources. The report and summary of the session would be shared with each stakeholder for policy level research by IIM Shillong to reboot sector growth.

Symposium Organizing Committee• Prof. (Dr) Keya Sengupta

CentreCoordinator,Dr.APJAbdulKalamCentre

• Prof. Sanjeeb Kakoty SectoralCoordinator,Handloom

• Prof. Ridhi Arora SectoralCoordinator,Handloom

• Dr. Bhaskar Kumar Kakati CentreManager

• Mr. Hitesh Gamit ResearchAssistant

Registration for the Symposium

Participants

The event aims to attract all the relevant stakeholders including Representatives of States, Representatives from NEC, Representatives from the Industry, Start-Ups, North-East Higher Educational Leaders, Subject Experts on North East India, Board Members and Faculty Members, Students and Alumni of IIM Shillong.

For Participation Register Here

Indian Institute of Management Shillong

Mayurbhanj Complex,

Nongthymmai, Shillong – 793014

Phone:+91364–2308145/8000,+91-8131983051Email-id: apjcentre@iimshillong.ac.in

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