Weaving- the Skill development activities of CSIR NEIST

CSIR- NEIST is actively involved in different societal activities for decades where S&T intervention is involved. Promotion of weaving activities has been started during 2010 with the DST (Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India) funded project called CSTRI (Council of Science and Technology for Rural India) and later on the weaving activities are taken under the CSIR program called CSIR-800. Under CSTRI project we have identified a cluster of rural villages by conducting rigorous base line survey where we have pointed out that the women of the selected location have very good traditional skill of making handloom products. We provide our interventions and arranging skill training to the weavers in weaving practice using Jacquard Loom for improvement of production rate, product quality, product diversification and design intervention. We have also created a Common Facility Center to promote the weaving activities. Under CSTRI program we have trained 250 weavers and out of them 200 numbers is now doing commercial production.

During 2015-16 and 2016-17 we have extend our Jacquard weaving training program to other locations under CSIR-800 program. During these two years we have trained almost 150 weavers and all of them are presently under commercial production. We have linked up our trained weaver for bank financing under some NABARD schemes. We have created some legal groups of the weavers called JLG (Joint Liability Group) to obtain the bank funding. Presently the net income of the weavers is 10,000 to 15,000 per month. It is to be noted that all the training programs are conducted at the respective village locations. We have an associated NGO named SNEHPAD providing all the required ground supports. During last seven years we have provided all the necessary S&T supports to these grass root traditional weavers. As a part of recent activity we have considered the weaving training program as a skill development training program from CSIR-NEIST under the CSIR- Integrated Skill Initiative (a flagship program of CSIR) along with the other skill development training programs. The course on Basic Jacquard Weaving Practices is of 3 months duration and it is proposed to conduct three courses in a year and the program is currently going-on for last two years and approximately 200 weavers have been trained out of which approximately 180 weavers are doing commercial production.

1. Activities under CSTRI Program of DST:
   On the basis of the baseline survey report on rural resource and need appraisal carried out at New Sonowal near Assam Nagaland border, a number of need based interventions are identified. Out of the different suggested measures the CSTRI council of DST has approved the intervention in the area of weaving skill The S&T intervention is decided on the basis of the available skill of the selected rural location and Setting up of a Common Facility Centre (CFC) on Weaving and Textile Product Manufacturing is proposed. The activities carried out under this project are:
   • Complete design including Plan Layout of the common facility centre and erection of the shed of the CFC
   • Selection, Procurement and Installation of the machineries for the CFC and for the individual weavers for the purpose of commercial production
   • Soft intervention in terms training imparted with Jacquard Looms, training on textile design and other related topics
   • Soft intervention in terms training imparted with Jacquard Looms, training on textile design and other related topics
The implementing methodologies are as under
• Rural resource and need appraisal
• Analyzing and identifying recourse and capability of the selected rural location
• Capacity building in weaving ( soft and hard interventions)
• Appropriate Business model developed
• External linkage build-up
The overall achievements under this project are:
• Creation of the CFC (Common Facility Centre) on weaving and textile product manufacturing.
• 250 numbers of weavers in total are trained (in 10 numbers of training program)
• More than 80% of the trainees are now doing commercial production and average annual income of individual weaver is Rs.0.6 to 1.5 Lakhs (including all programs)
• 150+ numbers of loans sanctioned from NABARD to start commercial production (as joint liability group) till date (including all programs)
• Link up with and support from ONGC NABARD, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, Tata Trust etc.

The commercial production and marketing etc are carried out under three different business models which are described below:
Formation of Joint Liability Groups (JLG) our trained weavers become eligible for getting loan under NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) from different banks.
2. Activities under CSIR-800 Program:
   Under CSIR-800 program two projects have been completed namely: Rural Entrepreneurship and Skill Development through demonstration and training of appropriate technologies of CSIR-NEIST (RSP-4007) Enhancement of Rural Employment / Entrepreneurship through MSME Technologies and Industrial Trades Training (RSP-4052) The objectives of these projects are as under:
• Creation of rural technology demonstration set-up for live demonstration of technologies.
• To demonstrate / training different rural technologies to the entrepreneurial youths with lab to market approach
• To impart skill development training programme for rural youth in different categories
Apart from the other achievements, for weaving intervention followings are the salient points to be presented:
• Setting up of the Rural Technology Demonstration Centre (RTDC)
• Weaving using Jacquard Looms and Product Development to 193 beneficiaries
• Beneficiary Interaction Programme with Hon'ble Minister of State for S&T and Earth Sciences, Govt. of India and Vice-President of CSIR Shri Y S Chowdary
• All the skill development training programs are conducted outside the laboratory premises. Approximately 35-40% get employed after skill training (from engineering trades) and almost 80 - 85% woman trainees get self employment after taking the training in weaving
• Different post training intervention are carried out to start entrepreneurships, getting jobs and bank linkages to start business

Details of the villages adapted under the skill program of CSIR-800:< Year 2013-14: 11 (eleven) villages of the New Sonowal area of the Assam Nagaland Border, namely Mising Gaon, Dani Goan, Natun Mati Gaon, Ban Goan, Sonapur Goan, Jungle Block Gaon, Maj Gaon, Jengoni Gaon, Jengoni Moran Gaon, Majhi Gaon and Gotonga Gaon. Total number of families in the 11 villages is 760 during that period. Year 2014-15: The same 11 (eleven) villages of the New Sonowal area of the Assam Nagaland Border, mentioned above are considered. Year 2015-16: In addition to the above mentioned 11 (eleven) villages of the New Sonowal area of the Assam Nagaland Border, the following additional 16 (sixteen) numbers of villages are also adopted under Chipahikhola Development Block, Chenijan, Teok and Kakojan area of Jorhat, namely Arandhara Gaon, Bonpithaguri Gaon, Da-kukurachowa Gaon, Gajpuria Gaon, Doloi Gaon, Deha Gajpuria Gaon, Kakajan Tinikuria Gaon, Chipahikhola Gaon, Borphoidia Gohain Gaon, Bamkukurachowa Gaon, Saruphoidia Gohain Gaon, Kakajan Dhari Gaon, Kakajan Bon Gaon, Medhichuk Gaon, Molow Gaon, Hatichungi Gaon. Year 2016-17: The above mentioned 11 (eleven) villages of the New Sonowal area of the Assam Nagaland Border and the 16 (sixteen) numbers of villages under Chipahikhola Development Block, Chenijan, Teok and Kakojan area of Jorhat are adopted.
Activities under Skill Development Training Program (CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative): As a part of the Skill India initiative of Government of India, CSIR has started its flagship program CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative in line with the CSIR platinum jubilee celebration. In the first phase during September 2017, 30 numbers of skill programs have been launched wherein two proposed training programs of CSIR-NEIST have been selected and they are namely Basic Training Program (for the trades welding, fitting, plumbing, weaving and glass blowing) and Advanced Training Program (for the trades CNC machining and advanced welding) Shri Hitendra Nath Goswami, Hon'ble Speaker, Assam Legislative Assembly inaugurated the Skill Development Training Centre at CSIR-NEIST on 8 July 2017 in presence of Director, CSIR-NEIST, Dr D Ramaiah and staff members

Post training intervention:
Out of all the on-going training programs, employment (self) from the weaving training is around 80 to 85% and for the rest of the training programs 40 to 45% candidates get employment or self employment. The woman weavers who have successfully completed the basic training on weaving using jacquard looms are provided the financial links to start the commercial production. The production will be cluster based production. The first product targeted is Gamucha. The financial linkages created are through NABARD scheme. Most of the weavers have appeared for the loan interview and have selected for soft loan to start the commercial production of weaving products. The loan will be disburses either through Canara Bank, Assam Gramin Bikash Bank and IDBI Bank. Usually the loan amount is 30,000 to 60,000 per weaver for a group of 5 weavers. The formal nomenclature of such group is Joint Liability Group (JLGs). From our earlier activities of CSIR-800 we have created a brand name called Muhura through our associated NGO SNEHPAD and we are now encouraging our weavers to produce through the same brand name. It is also to be mentioned that efforts have been made to make the weaving product commercially disseminated through the Govt. of India e-portal Rastriyo Mahila Kosh. It is to be mentioned here that, a brand has been launched in the registered name of Mohura and presently all the products are produce under this brand name and sales in the local market. On 25/01/2018 a beneficiary interaction meeting was organized at CSIR NEIST and Sri Kamakhya P Tasa, honourable MP of Jorhat has graced the occasion. Loan has been disbursed to our successful weaver trainees. Our Skill Development trained weavers (from 4th batch of trainees, trained in 3 months jacquard weaving course and training completed in February 2019) are in commercial production. We have created business link up (formation of Joint Liability Group) and the trainees obtained bank loan from IDBI and AGBB bank. Approximately 50 groups (with 4/5 weavers in each group) are in commercial production. 250-300 numbers of Gamucha (a local weaving product) is the production volume by each group in 2 months. Selling price of each unit is Rs 300-350. Hence total sales realization from 15000 units is approximately Rs. 52,50,000/-.