Assam's traditional weavers embrace new technologies to boost income and preserve cultural heritage

Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 8 (ANI): Assam's traditional weavers are embracing new technologies to boost income and preserve cultural heritage. By utilising new technologies, weavers are attempting to revitalise and showcase their traditional textiles on a global scale.
37-year-old Anchali Boro, a resident of Assam's Udalguri district, is among other women weavers who are engaged to make Assam's traditional textiles a global attraction by using new technologies.
Along with other weavers, Anchali Boro is now working at North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) Limited in Guwahati and utilising new technologies in traditional Assamese textiles.
The NEHHDC has adopted several new technologies, including IoT devices with QR codes, in the handloom sector.
"I am working here for the last 4 years. Our income is now increasing, reaching Rs 20,000 - Rs 25,000 per month. I am happy with my work. The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing a lot for us, and I want to say thanks to him," Anchali Boro said.
Anchali is a resident of Udalguri district under the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), and earlier, the entire region suffered from militancy problems for several decades.
Now, many women weavers of the BTR region and other parts of Assam are using new technologies in the handloom textile industry and giving a new height to traditional Assamese textiles.
Mara Kocho, Managing Director of North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) Limited, told ANI that, "We are doing market linkage for the artisans and weavers of the North Eastern states. We are also working to promote the cultural heritage of North East through handicrafts and handloom, and we are providing lots of skill development, under which we have already given training to more than 30,000 students and youths in the last 2 years in the handloom and handicrafts sector."
"We have tied up with the Ministry of MSME, the Ministry of Textiles and other Ministries, and we are the implementing agency for them. We are giving the platform to the artisans and weavers where they can pitch their products in our stores," Mara Kocho said.
The Managing Director of NEHHDC further said that they are adopting a few new technologies.

"Recently, we have implemented a new technology called block channel-enabled IOT device in all our handloom products, providing a QR code - if you scan the QR code, then you will come to know who made this particular product, where it was made and how it was made. This is a crucial step for NEHHDC to counter those in the market who are selling their particular handloom product as handmade. In future, we will also be scaling up. Recently, we have distributed 10,000 IOT devices among the artisan community in the North Eastern states. In handicrafts, we are coming up with a digital product passport," Mara Kocho said.
According to the All Assam Weavers Association, there are around 12 lakh weavers in Assam, but many of them are facing massive problems in getting a suitable market to sell their products. (ANI)