NEHHDC and CML sign MoU under Tata Trusts’ Antaran Initiative to Empower Assam’s Handloom Artisans

The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development
Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC) and CML, an initiative of Tata Trusts, signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) on 31 August 2026 at Garchuk, Guwahati, under Antaran –
Transforming Craft, a Tata Trusts initiative dedicated to strengthening craft-based livelihoods
and enabling artisan communities to build sustainable enterprises.

The partnership marks an important step towards strengthening Assam’s handloom
ecosystem, with a specific focus on the handloom clusters in Assam. Through the
collaboration, NEHHDC and CML will work towards creating greater opportunities for
weavers and artisans through skill enhancement, design development, product innovation,
entrepreneurship development, business capacity building and market linkages.

The initiative seeks to go beyond conventional interventions centred only on production and
training. Under the Antaran approach, artisans are supported across the value chain—from
strengthening their technical capabilities and developing contemporary products to building
entrepreneurial capacity and connecting with wider markets. The larger objective is to enable
artisans to emerge as sustainable, market-oriented and independent enterprises, while
preserving the traditional knowledge and cultural identity associated with Assam’s handloom
heritage.

This initiative of Tata Trusts, has been working towards the transformation of traditional craft
communities through a comprehensive livelihood and enterprise-development model. The
programme places artisans at the centre of the intervention and seeks to bridge the gap
between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary markets.

For Assam’s weavers, the collaboration provides an opportunity to strengthen the entire
journey from craft and capability to enterprise and market. Improved weaving and technical
skills, exposure to design and product development, diversification into market-responsive
products, business and entrepreneurial knowledge, branding and access to buyers can
collectively contribute towards enhanced income opportunities and more sustainable
livelihoods. The partnership between NEHHDC and CML is therefore expected to create a
stronger institutional framework for supporting artisans in the handloom clusters of Assam.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by NEHHDC, followed by the
felicitation of the AGM, NABARD and ED-CML, along with participating artisans. This was
followed by a session introducing NavTant, presented by Kautillya Basumatary, GM, CML,
which set the context for the collaboration.

Ms. Mridula Tangirala, Theme Head – Craft and Tourism, Tata Trusts, addressed the
gathering and highlighted the significance of strengthening craft-based livelihoods and
creating sustainable opportunities for artisan communities.
Her address underscored the importance of combining traditional craftsmanship with design,
enterprise development and market-oriented interventions.

The programme was further addressed by Shri Madhabananda Ray, ED, CML and Shri Mara
Kocho, MD, NEHHDC, who spoke on the significance of the patnership and the
opportunities it can create for Assam’s handloom sector.

The key moment of the programme was the formal signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding between NEHHDC and CML, marking the institutional commencement of the
collaboration under the Tata Trusts-supported Antaran initiative.
The voices of the artisan communities were also an integral part of the programme. Smt.
Dipika Kakati from Kamrup and Smt. Meera Nath from Nalbari shared their experiences and
perspectives, bringing the focus of the initiative directly to the weavers and communities it
seeks to support.

Mr. Tirthankar Biswas, AGM, NABARD, also addressed the gathering. The programme
included a presentation on the Kamrup and Nalbari clusters by Mr. Vishu Negi, Programme
Lead, Antaran, through a dedicated video highlighting the clusters and the work being
undertaken with artisan communities. The formal programme concluded with a closing
address by Kautillya Basumatary, GM, CML, followed by a field visit to NEHHDC facilities.
By bringing together the institutional capabilities of NEHHDC and the craft and livelihood
expertise of CML under Tata Trusts’ Antaran initiative, the partnership seeks to strengthen
not only individual weavers but the broader handloom ecosystem in the identified clusters.

The initiative also has wider significance for the preservation and evolution of Assam’s
traditional handloom heritage. By enabling artisans to respond to changing consumer
preferences while retaining the distinctive cultural character of Assamese textiles, the
programme aims to make traditional craft a more viable and sustainable livelihood for present
and future generations.

The signing of the MoU thus marks the beginning of a collaborative effort to build a stronger,
more market-oriented and artisan-centric handloom ecosystem in Assam, with the shared
vision of ensuring that the communities who preserve the state’s rich weaving traditions are
also able to derive greater and more sustainable economic value from their craftsmanship.