NE artisans to get online platform

The Telegraph | Sumir Karmakar | Guwahati, Dec 12

Handloom and handicraft artisans from the Northeast may soon have an exclusive e-commerce platform like Amazon or Tatacliq.

Tata Trusts, the philanthropic wing of the Tata Group, is planning to open an e-commerce platform as part of its initiative to support the artisans and promote their exquisite products online.

"We have already tied up with six popular e-commerce sites through which nearly 200 artisans from Assam and Manipur are selling their products. Artisans in lower Assam's Kamrup district and Sipajhar in Darrang district are selling their products. Similarly, in Thoubal district in Manipur, artisans are selling kouna (water hyacinth-like material) products online. But we are trying to have an exclusive online platform for them since we are exploring ways to provide them better market linkages, apart from training and skill development," Biswanath Sinha, head of Tata Trusts' Northeast operations told The Telegraph here on Tuesday.