[ Bengia Ajum ]
ITANAGAR, 1 Mar: A group of young Arunachalees, led by former Air India employee and a native of Longding town in Longding district, Soyi Pansa, is creating magic in the jewellery world.
They are pioneers in starting online delivery of tribal jewellery in the state. The group, named Tribal Fashion Jewellery, is selling tribal jewellery items through its website https://www.tribalfashionjewellery. com/and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Tribalfashionjewellery.
Such is the craze for their designs that they are starting to get orders from all over the world.
“We already delivered orders from the United States of America. Our products are being sold all over India and across Arunachal Pradesh,” informed Pansa, who is the creative head and the brain behind the start of this online jewellery business startup.
What started as a passion turned into professional business due to the nationwide lockdown imposed because of Covid 19. “I studied from Don Bosco College, Itanagar. I was always interested in creative work since my college days and initially, I started selling my products to my friends. Later, I went to Delhi to work with Air India. There I continued to make products and sell them,” said Pansa.
However, everything changed for her when the nationwide lockdown was imposed in India. “When I came back home during the lockdown, I started to plan this business seriously. I along with four members am operating it. We also use the service of local artisans,” she said.
Initially, they started selling only jewellery and ornaments of the Wancho tribe, to which Pansa belongs. “Now we are selling jewellery of all the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh,” she said.
They are using postal and Sumo/Winger services to deliver the products in the state. “We have two teams – one is based in Longding and the other in Itanagar. Both these teams work together to market our products. We are planning to tie up with a courier service to improve the delivery system,” she added.
Pansa urged the state government to extend support to startup initiatives like tribal fashion jewellery.
“There is not much support for people like us from the government. Through our startup, we are not only employing ourselves but also providing jobs to so many local artisans. If there is support from the government, it will give further fillip to our effort,” she said.
The team of Tribal Fashion Jewellery is also training local artisans.
The other team members are brand designers Ravi Wangsa and Toiman Wangsa, and marketing directors Phebo Wangsa and Banchat Rangkham.
