New Delhi, May 10 (Bureau) The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Etsy, the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, for supporting small sellers, weavers and artisans of the North East region by providing them with market access and enablement support, a statement said here on Monday.
As a part of the MoU, Etsy will work with the NEHHDC to develop enablement programs, specifically designed for artisans from the NE including modules on online selling and entrepreneurship and the opportunity to access a wider market for their products, the Ministry of Development of North East Region (DoNER) said. Etsy aims to equip artisans, creators and small entrepreneurs in the Indian handicrafts sector with important tools and resources to start and manage online businesses, the Ministry said in a statement.
Commenting on the development, Brigadier (Retd) Rajiv Kumar Singh, Managing Director, NEHHDC said, “It’s a key focus for us to promote the indigenous crafts of the NE region and create economic opportunities for craftspeople.” This partnership will help indigenous products from the area (from categories like textiles, cane and bamboo products, accessories and more) become available online for millions of buyers on the Etsy platform, the DoNER ministry said. Artisans from all eight NE states- Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura will be on-boarded onto Etsy, the statement said. They will receive a fixed amount of free ad credits as a part of this programme, it added.