NEHHDC, Tide Join Hands To Digitise Handloom & Handicraft Sector In Northeast

Guwahati, Aug 16 (KNN) The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC) has entered into an agreement with Tide, the UK’s SME-focused business financial platform to digitise the handloom and handicraft sector in northeast India.

Under the partnership, Tide will leverage its expertise and knowledge to bolster scalability, promote financial inclusion and enhance market reach for the community of nearly 2.1 million handloom weavers and 3.5 million handicraft artisans across 800 clusters in northeast India.

Tide will also help in financial and digital inclusion of weavers and artisans from the region and host mentor panels and masterclasses with in-house experts in leadership, marketing, capital investment, hiring and payroll, taxation, and legal, among others.

The company will also help the community network and build capabilities through a series of annual national-level SME events.

At present, Northeast contributes 65 per cent of India’s total handloom production and has the highest concentration of handloom weavers in the country with women participation of around 88 per cent.

Gurjodhpal Singh, CEO, Tide India, said, “Our partnership comes at a time when the Government of India has been pushing digitalisation of handloom and handicraft industry. We are proud to partner with NEHHDC and are confident that our initiative will not only help enhance financial inclusion for these businesses but also create newer avenues to increase business opportunities and boost Indian art and heritage.”

Brigadier Rajiv Kumar Singh (Retd) Managing Director, NEHHDC, “For any nano entrepreneurs, lack of access to finance and formal financial knowledge are common challenges for small businesses and startups worldwide. The MoU between NEHHDC and Tide India will be a game changer wherein by providing nano entrepreneurs with the necessary tools, knowledge, and resources to effectively plan and manage their finances, a crucial aspect of their success will be addressed.”

NEHHDC works under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and attempts to develop and promote the indigenous crafts of the region by connecting craftsmen to prospective markets and consumers.  (KNN Bureau)