The Entrepreneurs Associates (tEA), in collaboration with the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC), hosted the ‘Installation’& Test Drive of IoT Device cum Forging Partnerships and Securing Market Linkage’ event in Thetsumi Village, Phek District.
According to a press release by tEA, this will enable weavers to tag their products with a QR code, ensuring authenticity and proper record of its origin.
Vekhoneiyi Murao, Field Operator, NEHHDC chaired the event, emphasizing the importance of obtaining Geographical Indication (GI) tags for handlooms. He highlighted that 17 shawls from the Chakhesang district had received GI tags in recent years. The program began with an invocation by Kezupelou Doulo, followed by a presentation on ‘IoT devices’ by Imtisenla Longkumer, tEA’s FPO Coordinator-NERAMAC & Communications Assistant. She explained that utilising IoT devices would allow weavers to get their stories to the rest of the world.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
Through this collaboration, tEA has verified 823 weavers, including the identification of 620 from the Phek District, of which 160 weavers are from Thetsumi Village. Monmayuri Saikai, Executive Business Development at NEHHDC, expressed her gratitude to tEA for initiating this valuable project and helping identify the right participants. “The IoT device will provide a tag with a QR code, allowing buyers to view details and pictures of the weaver, the type of fabric or yarn used, and a short video of the weaver crafting the product by hand. This will authenticate the product and enable higher pricing, thereby increasing income for the weavers,” she explained.
Neichute Doulo, CEO of tEA, expressed his gratitude to Brigadier Rajiv Kumar Singh, MD of NEHHDC, for supporting the initiative and helping find deserving individuals. Doulo noted, “This device will authenticate products made by women using loin loom technology.” He also shared his vision of establishing a yarn bank with the weaving communities to produce quality end products at lower costs, foster mass production, and transform the currently niche weaving market.
The program concluded with signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for partnership between NEHHDC, tEA, and eight women weaver group leaders followed by a vote of thanks from Cukhoyi Chiero, Zonal Head, East Zone. His concluding remarks were, “This initiative has strengthened our commitment to enhance productivity and generate sustainable livelihoods for our community.” The event attracted 35 enthusiastic women weavers from Thetsumi along with a host of village leaders and community members.
It may be noted that tEA and NEHHDC will install the IoT devices in Wokha District the following day.
