Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Dec 11: A two-day exhibition of indigenously made textile and agri-horti-based products will be held at the Dorjee Khandu state convention centre here from 15 December.
The exhibition is expected to see the participation of about 50 members of the Arunachal NGO & Entrepreneurship Forum (ANGOEF) – a conglomeration of various state-based NGOs and entrepreneurs – which is organizing the event with the theme ‘Be local, buy local’.
Addressing a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here on Tuesday, ANGOEF chairperson Taba Yall Nabam informed that
the event will basically be a buyers’-sellers’ meet to promote cottage industry products made by local entrepreneurs and NGOs.
Stating that despite the availability of many indigenously made quality products, people prefer to buy products made outside the state, Nabam said: “Owing to such a trend, many local cottage industries in the state have already closed down and many are on the verge of collapse.”
She said the exhibition would be an attempt to counter the trend and to revive the cottage industries by making people aware of the availability of locally made textile, handicrafts and agri-horti-based products.
Highlighting the idea behind creating the forum, Nabam said it has been formed as a knowledge-sharing platform for the NGOs and entrepreneurs, and to facilitate coordination between the state government and the local stakeholders.
“Among other tasks, the forum will pursue the constitution of a dedicated board for the local entrepreneurs to streamline market regulation for them, and which will also provide technical and financial support to them,” Nabam said.
She also informed that the forum will request the state government to allocate at least 3 percent of the state’s budget towards promoting the local entrepreneurs.
She said the forum would also pursue implementation of patent rights for the designs and patterns of the state’s traditional handlooms, so that they can be marketed as state-based products, which in turn would ensure recognition of the ownership of such products.
