The proposal was discussed during the organisation’s Annual General Body Meeting held at the CYSD campus in Bhubaneswar, where members deliberated on strategies to strengthen the state’s handloom ecosystem.
Founded in 1994 by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Panda (Retd. IAS), former Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and revitalised in 2022, SHRADDHA is committed to improving the socio-economic conditions of handloom weavers through innovation, skill development and market linkages.
Empowering Women Weavers
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Panda highlighted the organisation’s successful women-weaver empowerment initiatives in Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts, supported by NABARD, HPRCL and LIC.
The projects have helped diversify handloom products beyond traditional sarees to include running fabrics and contemporary designs while introducing innovative direct-to-consumer marketing models in premium residential communities. According to the organisation, these interventions have increased weavers’ incomes by nearly 50 percent.
Proposal for a Dedicated Weaver School
To sustain these gains, members strongly endorsed the idea of establishing a specialised Weaver School.
The proposed institution would combine formal education through open schooling with practical training in textile design, weaving techniques, entrepreneurship and digital marketing. The objective is to encourage children from weaving families to embrace the sector with modern skills while preserving traditional craftsmanship.
The initiative aims to create a new generation of skilled entrepreneurs capable of positioning Odisha’s handloom products in national and global markets, contributing to the vision of a ‘Viksit Odisha.’
Holistic Community Development
Beyond livelihood promotion, SHRADDHA continues to work on the overall well-being of weaver communities through initiatives focused on healthcare, nutrition, preschool education and environmental conservation, including plantation drives.
The meeting witnessed active participation, both in person and virtually, from members including B.B. Patnaik, Shyama Chandra Padhy, Padmanava Panda, Dr. Satyakam Mishra, General Atanu Patnaik, Sukanti Meher and Shivani Mohapatra, among others.
The proceedings were conducted by Secretary Banshidhar Mohapatra, with support from Dr. Sudarshan Behera and Suvendu Tripathy.
SHRADDHA said the proposed Weaver School could become a transformative initiative for Odisha’s handloom sector by blending traditional craftsmanship with modern education, technology and entrepreneurship, ensuring sustainable livelihoods for future generations of weavers.
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