The digital intervention on handloom and handicraft sector for livelihood enhancement of artisans of northeastern states was launched at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) in Kohima on Friday.
This is the first digital Intervention project for handloom and handicraft artisans in the Northeast that will help accelerate artisanal growth through training, support services, linkages technology and digital market development and creation of a repository of artisans.
A total of 5920 tribal youths and women practicing either handloom or handicrafts from Nagaland will be trained through this facility.
Nagaland adviser to industries and commerce, labour and employment, skill development and entrepreneurship, Imnatiba Jamir inaugurated the project.
In his address, Jamir said the state government is according much importance to handloom and handicraft artisans to upgrade the rich Naga culture.
Asking the industries and commerce department and NIELIT to implement the project successfully, he hoped that the artisans and entrepreneurs will be able to enhance their innovative and traditional skills through it.
NIELIT director L Lanuwabang said Nagaland is the first state in the Northeast to take up such projects to develop appropriate process technologies that produce value-added products with quality up-gradation, quality control and technological upgradation and also to strengthen packaging and delivery of products.
He said the project will help develop marketing and distribution channels and linkages to create an overall conducive environment for entrepreneurial growth.
Industries and commerce commissioner and secretary Kekhrievor Kevichusa said the department was in the process of identifying how to formalize the protection of intellectual property relating to traditional motif and symbols.
He urged the artisans of the state to make use of the digital intervention facility to protect Naga motif and symbols through designing and branding.