A High-Level Task Force meeting on Promotion of Handloom & Handicrafts in North Eastern Region was convened under the chairmanship of Nagaland Chief Minister Pu Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. The Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, participated in the meeting held through video conferencing. The virtual meeting was attended by esteemed dignitaries, including Shri Lalduhoma, Chief Minister of Mizoram; Ms. Nandita Garlosa, Minister of Sports, Assam; Additional Chief Secretary, Manipur; Secretary, Transformation & Development, Assam; Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles; Joint Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles; along with senior officials from the DONER Ministry.

The Union Minister reaffirmed the Government's unwavering commitment to unlocking the vast, untapped potential of the Handloom and Handicrafts sector in the northeast and reiterated six key action points: Product Identification, Cluster-Based Development, Market Linkages, Common Facility Centers (CFCs), Roadmap Development, and Gap Analysis & Public-Private Participation to develop this sector.

The Union Minister emphasized the need for collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Textiles and 8 northeastern states, advocating for collaborative pilot projects through dedicated state-level working groups including representatives from the ministry of Textiles. A phased approach was proposed, involving the development of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year plans. Initially, the focus would be on identifying at least one iconic handloom and one handicraft product collectively for all eight states, with a future phase aimed at highlighting each state's unique products, thus promoting NER’s handloom and handicrafts products and fostering economic growth in the region.

Minister Shri Scindia asserted, "We must adopt whole-of-government approach in the development of this crucial sector. The Ministry of Textiles must coordinate with state governments through the formation of a working group, bring markets to our artisans in the North East, collaborate with each state government to prepare tailor-made plans, and strengthen capacities on the ground. The handlooms and handicrafts of our Northeastern Region are the living traditions that must be nurtured and showcased to the world".

The Union Minister further laid out a roadmap for developing the Handloom & Handicrafts ecosystem in NER. He suggested that at least one handloom and one handicraft pilot project for all Northeastern states should be initiated by November-December, and work should commence accordingly.

In a rich exchange of ideas, state representatives and other officials present in the HLTF meeting shared their insights on revitalizing the traditional textiles sector, with a collective focus on strengthening the handloom and handicrafts sector in the Northeast.

During the meeting Mizoram Chief Minister Shri Lalduhoma emphasized the need for strengthened collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of DONER, Textiles Ministry, and MSMEs, to unlock the vast untapped potential of the handloom and handicraft sector in the Northeast region.

Ms. Nandita Garlosa, Minister of Sports, Assam said that marketing is a major challenge which northeastern states are currently facing.

Shri Anurag Bajpai, Additional Chief Secretary of Manipur, highlighted the challenge of raw material availability for artisans, noting that in states like Manipur, artisans struggle to access raw materials in the market. He also emphasized other key areas that require attention, including the mapping of artisans, high transportation costs, the need for soft skills training, and digital literacy. Furthermore, Bajpai pointed out the limited access to global markets for Northeastern artists and stressed the need for subsidies to support the logistics sector.

This meeting follows the first High-Level Task Force meeting held on July 22, 2025, marking a significant step towards promoting handloom and handicrafts in NER.

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Samrat/Murali/Allen

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