Sambalpur: 21 weavers of Odisha received financial assistance from Ministry of Textile, GoI during the ‘Scheme Benefit Distribution’ Ceremony organized on the 3rd day of ‘Tana-Bana District Handloom Expo-2023′ at IIM Sambalpur, one of India’s premier management institutions. On the occasion, Mrs. Mridula Pradhan, Social worker and philanthropists; Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director of IIM Sambalpur and the MLA from Rengali, Mr. Nauri Nayak give away the cheques of financial assistance to the weavers.
Mr. Nauri Nayak graced the event as the Chief Guest and said, “This Expo is a matter of pride for Sambalpur, as Sambalpuri cloth is famous all over the world. The expo will help in increasing the sales of local handicraft products.”
The Special Guest, Mrs. Mridula Pradhan said “After completion of MBA, students should initiate start-ups for local Sambalpuri handicraft products, as weavers are not getting the real value for their products. Through the start-ups, the Sambalpuri handloom products will also be promoted globally.”
In his welcome address, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director of IIM Sambalpur, said “IIM Sambalpur is working on promoting of Odisha’s art, culture, and local products at the national level. IIM Sambalpur is also working on how local people can benefit from natural resources and create an Entrepreneurship culture. We are also working on a project called www.bunkarvalleys.com to promote local handloom at the national level. IIM Sambalpur as per MoU with Flipkart and SIDBI is also promoting weavers products into digital market platforms.”
During the expo, out of 21 weavers — 11 weavers received workshed assistance of Rs. 1.20 lakh each, while 10 weavers received lighting unit assistance of Rs. 15,000 each. This financial support was extended under the outside cluster development program scheme from Ministry of Textile, GoI. The funds sanctioned for the workshed assistance will be utilized for constructing handloom worksheds, while the funds sanctioned for the lighting units will be utilized for the purchasing of solar light units.
Earlier, the ceremony began with the lighting of a lamp by the dignitaries. Mrs. Pradhan also led an exhibition tour and interacted with the weavers. The vote of thanks was proposed by Asst. Professor, Anand Hindolia.
It is to be recalled that hosted by the IIM Sambalpur, the 5-day Expo is being organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles, the GoI, and the Weavers’ Service Centre, Bhubaneswar. The expo is featuring over 25 stalls showcasing a diverse range of handloom products. This included exquisite sarees, bedsheets, dress materials, table runners, umbrellas, and various other fabric-based products crafted using the traditional handloom techniques of Odisha. A large number of people were seen at the expo.
