Guwahati : In a significant step towards creating a trained workforce in the handicrafts and handloom sector and generating employment opportunities, Minister of State for Textiles and External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, inaugurated the Bunkar and Karigar Utthan Upskilling Programme FY 2024-25: 100 Clusters in 100 Days in Guwahati on Saturday.

The event, organised by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handloom and Development Commissioner for Handicraft, Ministry of Textiles, was inaugurated virtually across the country.

In his inaugural address, Margherita emphasized the importance of preserving India’s rich craft heritage while adapting to modern market needs. He stated that this initiative represents a crucial investment in our artisans and handloom workers.

“By equipping them with advanced skills and knowledge, we are not only preserving our traditional arts but also ensuring that our craft sectors remain competitive and vibrant,” he added.

Margherita noted that the handloom and handicraft sector in India has always been very rich, and artisans and weavers are an integral part of the economy and culture of this country.

He informed that under the Bunkar and Karigar Utthan Upskilling Programme, 70 clusters in the handicrafts sector and 30 clusters in the handloom sector will receive focused upskilling through a training program. He encouraged artisans and weavers across the country to take full advantage of this program and upgrade their skills and technologies.

U G Brahma, Minister of Handloom, Textile & Sericulture, Government of Assam, also addressed the attendees, emphasizing the program’s significance for regional development. He stated that, as a large number of people in Assam are associated with weaving, this initiative will benefit them.

He also mentioned that the state government has introduced various flagship schemes for the betterment of the handloom sector.

During a live interaction with weavers and artisans from different locations in virtual mode, Pabitra Margherita appreciated their work and assured them of all support in this sector.

During the event, certificates and toolkits were distributed to beneficiary weavers and artisans under various components of the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP).

M Beena, Development Commissioner for Handlooms, and Amrit Raj, Development Commissioner for Handicrafts, were also present at the event.

The “Karigar Uthan Programme: 100 Clusters in 100 Days for Upskilling” initiative is a Training and Design Programme under the Government of India’s ‘100 Days Action Plan’.

As part of the initiative, the Office of Development Commissioner for Handloom and Development Commissioner for Handicraft aims to provide technical and soft skill training to the younger generation, simultaneously fulfilling the current demand and design needs of the market.

Under this initiative, 70 clusters in the handicrafts sector and 30 clusters in the handloom sector will receive focused upskilling through the training program. In the 70 handicrafts clusters covering 70 districts in 31 states, upskilling of 2,100 artisans is proposed through 51 Guru Shishya Hastshilp Prashikshan Programme (GSHPP) and 19 Design Development Workshop (DDW) programs in 52 different crafts.

In the 30 handloom clusters, upskilling of 1,527 handloom workers is proposed through 29 Weavers’ Service Centres (WSC) in 26 states/UTs.

The primary objective of the Guru Shishya Hastshilp Prashikshan Program (GSHPP) is to transfer traditional craft knowledge from the master craftsperson (Guru) to the younger generation artisan (Shishya) to bridge the skill gap and fulfill market demand.

The Design Development Workshop, on the other hand, aims to develop new designs/prototypes as per the present requirements of the handicraft sector using the existing skills of artisans.