Guwahati, June 13: The rustle of Assamese silk, crispy-soft Manipuri cotton and the warrior shawls of the Nagas will add vibrancy to a global textile exhibition in Gujarat.
Fifteen entrepreneurs from the Northeast will showcase their products at Textile India 2017, a three-day exhibition to be held in Gandhinagar from June 30.
Assam, one of the partners of the exhibition, will send seven entrepreneurs to the event. Mukta Gogoi, the commissioner of handlooms, textiles and sericulture, said, "Assam will showcase its silk textiles for which it is already globally famous. Our primary focus will be on muga and eri silk. We will also showcase a wide variety of textiles in mulberry and tassar silk."
Assam is the highest producer of muga and eri in the country, accounting for 99 per cent and 92 per cent of the total production respectively.
"Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal is yet to decide how we will represent our state in the exhibition. There might be some changes in the plan after he decides. So far, we have decided to set up 11 kiosks," the commissioner said in a news conference organised by the Union ministry of textiles here this afternoon.
Jesmina Zeliang, the regional convener of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, said, "We received a list of top entrepreneurs from each of the seven states in the Northeast. We shortlisted those who have more experience in exporting their products. The seven participants from Assam have a long experience of sending their products to the UK."
The event is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It will provide a common business platform for indigenous entrepreneurs in the international market.
More than 1,000 sellers, 2,500 international buyers and 15,000 national buyers will be present at the exhibition. The venue is spread over an area of 1,25,000 square feet, of which, 75,000 square feet has been set aside for the exhibition.
"The participants from the Northeast have been allotted 4,000 square feet area to set up their kiosks. Assam, being the partner state, will get more importance and area in the event," said Subrata Gupta, the joint secretary, ministry of textiles, at the briefing.