BHUBANESWAR: The Mission Shakti department on Tuesday partnered with the Weavers’ Service Centre (WSC) to empower women weavers through skill development, modern design inputs and access to national and international markets.
On the day, director of the department Monica Priyadarshini signed an MoU with deputy director of WSC Bikash Kumar in the presence of deputy chief minister Pravati Parida and secretary Shalini Pandit.
The partnership will facilitate design mentoring, training and market linkage for weaving-based SHGs, enabling them to adapt to evolving fashion and decor preferences. It will also help build a sustainable women-led textile ecosystem and strengthen the textile value chain.
Speaking on the occasion, Parida reiterated the government’s commitment to making Odisha’s SHG members economically self-reliant. “The state’s traditional weaving sector is transforming due to active involvement of women-led self-help groups,” she said.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent reference to Odisha’s Santali weaving art of Mayurbhanj and Sankirtan group of Keonjhar during the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address, she said, “Our mothers are making Odisha proud across the nation. We are determined to offer SHGs viable and dignified income opportunities as part of our goal to achieve the target of Lakhpati Didis.”
Pandit emphasised the importance of the initiative, stating that it will support thousands of women who have already adopted weaving, tailoring, embroidery, and home-based production as a means of livelihood. “This partnership will provide an enabling ecosystem for design, training, and market-ready innovations for SHG members,” she added.