Giriraj Singh Inaugurates EKTA Meghalaya And Integrated Textile Tourism Centre At Nongpoh
Meghalaya took a significant step toward strengthening its textile ecosystem as Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated EKTA Meghalaya (Exhibition cum Knowledge Sharing for Textiles Advantage) and the Integrated Textile Tourism Centre (ITTC) at Nongpoh.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Textiles & External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Meghalaya’s State Minister for Textiles Metbah Lyngdoh, Central Silk Board (CSB) Member Secretary P. Sivakumar and other senior officials.
The Central Silk Board, under the Ministry of Textiles, along with the Department of Textiles, Government of Meghalaya, set up exhibition stalls as part of EKTA Meghalaya, showcasing innovations, products and initiatives spanning the silk and handloom sectors at the ITTC.
The Integrated Textile Tourism Centre, a flagship project of the Department of Textiles, Meghalaya and the Ministry of Textiles, is designed as an immersive cultural hub that brings together craftsmanship, culture, skill development and tourism.
As a first-of-its-kind experiential destination, ITTC highlights Meghalaya’s rich textile heritage with a special emphasis on Eri silk. EKTA Meghalaya brings silk, handloom, handicrafts, jute and technical textiles onto a single platform to foster knowledge exchange, innovation, market linkages and inter-state collaboration.
In his address, Giriraj Singh emphasised the transformative potential of the North-East in the textiles sector, particularly through Eri and Muga silk, and stressed the need for value addition and livelihood-driven growth.
Pabitra Margherita highlighted the importance of artisan empowerment, skill development, technology adoption and youth entrepreneurship, and praised Meghalaya’s leadership in Eri silk production.
CSB Member Secretary P. Sivakumar outlined various initiatives undertaken to strengthen the sericulture value chain and reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to scaling up Eri and Muga silk production through scientific, sustainable and market-led interventions.
