Mizoram steps up efforts to promote Mizo handloom, handicrafts in national, global markets
New Delhi/Aizawl: The Mizoram government has undertaken a series of initiatives to promote the state’s products, particularly handloom and handicraft items, in national and international markets, officials said on Saturday.
As part of the initiatives, Chief Minister Lalduhoma inaugurated the ‘Made by Mizo’ kiosk at Safdarjung Enclave in New Delhi, providing a platform to showcase and market products made by artisans and entrepreneurs from Mizoram. The kiosk has been established through the initiative of the Mizoram Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (ZOHANDCO).
An official of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the ‘Made by Mizo’ kiosk is a retail outlet showcasing and selling a wide range of products made by the people of Mizoram. It has been established under the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Scheme of the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
ZOHANDCO is the State Nodal Agency (SNA) for the RAMP Scheme in Mizoram and is also responsible for the Marketing Intervention component under the scheme. As part of this initiative, ZOHANDCO has already launched ‘Made by Mizo.com’, an e-commerce platform for products made by Mizo entrepreneurs and artisans.
The ‘Made by Mizo’ kiosk has been established to provide a physical retail outlet for products listed on the ‘Made by Mizo’ e-commerce platform, thereby creating greater opportunities for their sale and promotion.
Apart from New Delhi, ZOHANDCO is also working towards establishing ‘Made by Mizo’ kiosks in Bengaluru and Kolkata. The kiosks will serve not only as retail outlets but also as fulfilment points for online orders placed through the ‘Made by Mizo e-commerce’ platform. This will enable orders to be dispatched directly from the kiosks rather than being sent from Aizawl, facilitating faster and more efficient delivery.
The ‘Made by Mizo’ kiosk in New Delhi was established at a cost of Rs 71.41 lakh. Following the inauguration, Chief Minister Lalduhoma, addressing the gathering, said that Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in Mizoram had traditionally been a financial burden on the state government. However, he said that since his government assumed office, substantial efforts have been undertaken to reform and strengthen the PSUs.
The recent progress made by ZOHANDCO, he observed, is a clear reflection of these reform efforts.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Parliament Members Richard Vanlalhmangaiha and K. Laltluangkima, Minister Prof. Lalnilawma, ZOHANDCO Chairman J.K. Dawngzuala and senior government officials.