GUWAHATI, Aug 30 - State Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary announced that a Women Entrepreneurs� Hub would be set up in Guwahati, catering exclusively to the products made by women.
He said this while inaugurating the three-day exhibition on �Traditional Jewellery Designing and Making, Block Printing and Lifestyle Products� at the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, on Tuesday.
The programme was sponsored by the Women Cell of the Commissionerate of Industries and Commerce, Assam, an official release stated today.
Lauding the efforts in crafting exquisite products and designs, Patowary asked the women entrepreneurs to focus on innovation and quality to compete in the national and international markets, while retaining the traditional motifs. He asked the department officials to rope in professional experts to impart training on fine quality commodities.
The minister added that the upcoming Incubation Centre at Ambari, Guwahati, would keep two floors of the building for products, goods and artefacts designed and made by women. Stating that only micro industries can provide large employment opportunities at comparatively lower capital investments than large industries, Patowary said that an industrial park would be set up at Jagiroad on a plot of 19 bighas with 40 sheds of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) where women entrepreneurs would be given preference.
Patowary distributed certificates to the trainees who had successfully undergone the jewellery designing and block printing course at the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery, Jaipur, and IIE, Guwahati, and fashion designing at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata.
Additional Chief Secretary, Assam, Ravi Capoor said that the department had so far trained around 500 women in candle-making, natural dye, jute and water hyacinth weaving, and would extend all help to set up their own enterprises. Additional Director, Industries and Commerce, Manjula Saikia Bhuyan, in her presentation, said that the department plans to provide a platform to women entrepreneurs in upcoming events like IITF, New Delhi and BIMSTEC Expo, Kolkata.
Meanwhile, the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC), under the sponsorship of Women Cell, Commissionerate of Industries and Commerce, has sent 50 women for on advanced training programme of two weeks to the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, for food processing and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles and Management, Coimbatore, for fashion designing.
Additional Director, PK Saikia, Deputy Director Dr Minakshi Debi, Director of IIE Manoj Das, and Head, CIE, IIE, Dr Sriparna B Baruah were also present in the programme.
