As a step in enhancing the desirability of eri silk, known as ryndia in Khasi, products, the Department of Textiles opened an ‘Eri Corner’ in Garikhana here today.
At the function on the premises of Meg Tex, the sales outlet of the department, Commissioner and Secretary FR Kharkongor also launched the brand Ryndia.
The Eri Corner will showcase the brand Ryndia with a range of exhibits “aimed at elevating the ryndia to an item of luxury through the transformation of the brand from a cottage industry to a fashion and lifestyle concept,” an official press release said.
Speaking on the occasion, Kharkongor said that the aim of the Eri Corner is to ensure the visibility of Meghalaya’s eri products through branding and also availability. Referring to the tagline of the brand – ‘From Thread to Trend’ – he stressed on the need to generate a value chain for the entire process, including from farm to fibre to fabric.
Unique selling points of Meghalayan eri silk, namely that it is ethically sourced, organically produced and is of a sector driven by women, should be leveraged further, he added.
The Department of Textiles also plans on creating ‘silk villages’ that will comprise other Eri Corners, design resource centres and other facilities that will aim at bettering efforts to develop the sericulture sector.
Kharkongor also informed that the Union Ministry of Textiles has also sanctioned a ‘textile tourism’ project in Nongpoh.
