Kolkata, Aug 2 (KNN) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Microsoft India is to create an e-commerce platform which will connect six lakh weavers of the state.

Addressing the gathering at a government programme on saving greenery, Minister said that Wipro has requested the State Government to provide 50 acre of land for its new project.

She said that it will generate employment for 10,000 youths. This will glorify our silicon valley IT hub. We have earlier provided 100 acre of land for it which has already been booked. So 100 acre of more land has been provided out of which Wipro has asked for 50 acre.

The platform would help artisans connect directly with buyers and enabling them to expand to newer customers and markets, she said.

The e-marketplace would help sell to a broad set of customers, support weavers in increasing their income, while also reviving traditional forgotten Indian art, Microsoft India said.

Banerjee also said Microsoft will undertake the ‘Project Sangam’ here, which seeks to empower municipal functionaries to run community training courses.

“These projects will increase the self-sufficiency of weavers in Bengal. Microsoft will include 6 lakh weavers in their project which will increase the weavers’ income by 25%. The project will soon start from Nadia district,” Minister said.

As Bengal government has planted trees in 6.75 lakh bighas of land in the last eight years. “The forest cover in West Bengal in 2011 was 14.64% and in 2019 it has gone up to 18.98%. This will increase further in the future,” Mamata said.

Besides, the company, in association with the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), has curated a special curriculum in ‘CAD and Colour for Handloom Weaving’ to provide digital training in handloom design. At the same event, the chief minister said Wipro has been offered 50 acres of land for a new complex at Rajarhat.