- Opens first unit at Shalimar Bagh to celebrate Indian craftsmanship and empower women SHGs
In a run up to the National Handloom Day Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, a pioneering power utility supplying electricity to a populace of over 7 million in North Delhi established its first-ever handloom unit at DESU Colony, Shalimar Bagh. The discom aims to promote traditional art and the handloom heritage of India, empowering women from low-income groups to be financially Independent.
Handloom sector is one of the major symbols of cultural heritage of India. Tapping into the potential of the handloom industry, this unit aims to provide a platform for women of lower-income groups to develop artistic skills. The unit consisting of four handloom, tana-bana and charkhas will be run by 25 artisans of women SHGs of Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited to create apparels and home decor items using a loom (weaving device).
These SHGs are a part of company’s social impact group which were formed to create a strong support network for community women. The underlying objective of setting up the handloom unit is to provide steady source of income to women of these SHGs and enable them to become self-reliant in the long run.
Many such women have been associated with the company for a long time now and have been issued the Artisan Card under the scheme of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India under other trades. This artisan card will not only help women to further develop their skills but also directly access a variety of handloom and handicraft schemes and participate in exhibitions by Government of India.
Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Dwijadas Basak, Chief- Commercial, Customer Experience and Social Impact Group Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited said, “Promoting gender equality and empowering women in the community has always been a strong focus area for us. Through this initiative we aim at creating more livelihood opportunities for them while helping them gain confidence and stability.”
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited supported over 1 lakh women since its inception under various women-centric programs like teaching in Women Literacy Centres, developing Self-Help Groups, Vocational Training Centres and Life Skills Programmes for girl students.
National Handloom Day is celebrated to honour the handloom community, and acknowledge their contribution towards India’s socio-economic development. The aim is to resolve to protect this heritage and to empower the workers in this sector.