State team heads for Tokyo fair
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 18 2012: With the stated objective of drawing global attention to the handloom and handicraft products of Manipur, a State delegation led by the Commerce and Industries Minister Govindas Konthoujam left imphal today to participate at an international level fair at Tokyo, Japan.

Speaking to the Sangai Express at his Secretariat office chamber, Principal Secretary (Commerce & Industries) O Nabakishore informed that an international fair on industrial as well as handloom and handicraft products would be held at Tokyo from June 20 till 22 .

Besides himself and Govindas Konthoujam, the State delegation will also include the Commerce and Industries Director, said Nabakishore who also informed that products of Manipur Apex Handloom Weavers & Handicraft Artiste Cooperative society, VV Enterprise and Manipur Rural Industrial Centre would be exhibited at a Manipur stall at the Tokyo event.

Apart from displaying the products, the delegate members will hold discussions with representatives of other Nations on the traditional craft items of Manipur, he maintained.

K Govindas

The Principal Secretary also pointed out that in view of the Look East Policy of India, gathering of the global community at the Tokyo fair would be capitalised to promote Manipur and its products for Manipur too has to reap benefit from the inevitable trans-asian economic link rather than the State remain as a mere transit point when the Look East Policy become a reality.

emphasising that handloom sector of Manipur needs to be developed with modern machinery inputs in order to meet international demands, he stated that along with increasing the products there is need for quality control to ensure satisfaction of the purchasers and maintain the standard.

Further pointing out that State entrepreneurs and cooperative societies involved in the handloom and handicraft sector should explore and apply modern technology to boost the products, the Principal Secretary expressed confidence that the State representative would be able to experience new developments in the industrial and handloom sectors at the Tokyo event.

He further informed that under the initiative of the Government of India's National Small Industries Corporation limited, select entrepreneurs and weavers from Manipur would exhibit their wares at another international handloom and handicraft fair to be held in South Africa from July 15 to 17 .

In the connection with the latter fair called SAITEX 2012 at Johannesburg, official correspondence between the National Corporation and M/s Rural Industrial Centre (Yumnam Leikai Nambul Mapal), M/s VV Enterprise (Keishampat Thokchom Leikai), M/s Citizen Welfare Association (Heingang Makha Leikai, and M/s Ibemhal Collection, Singjamei have already been made, he added.

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