Shillong, Oct 28: The National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC), under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, organised an Authorised User Registration Camp for Meghalaya’s Geographical Indication (GI)-registered handloom products — Meghalaya Ryndia Textile (GI Tag No. 111) and Meghalaya Khasi Handloom Products (GI Tag No. 1113) — at the State Convention Centre, Shillong, on Tuesday.
The programme was held in collaboration with the Directorate of Sericulture & Weaving, Government of Meghalaya, with active support from the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms).
Federick Kharkongor, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Textiles, Government of Meghalaya, graced the event as the Chief Guest.
In his address, Kharkongor described Ryndia as a nationally recognised heritage textile — honoured by the Government of India earlier this year — and celebrated globally as a women-driven, naturally dyed, handwoven product that sustains the livelihoods of grassroots rural communities.
He emphasised that Meghalaya rightfully earned its GI Tag through its deep-rooted cultural and historical legacy, documented in records from France, Scotland, London, and Oxford, which acknowledge the distinctive identity of Ryndia — from sericulture farming to traditional yarn-spinning and indigenous weaving practices.
According to Kharkongor, more than 28,000 households have benefited from the handloom and sericulture sectors, which currently engage around 47,430 sericulture farmers and 42,200 active weavers across the state.
He added that Meghalaya continues to produce over 40,000 metric tons of eri (Ryndia) silk annually. “Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, production not only sustained but grew,” he noted, underscoring the resilience and vitality of the sector.
Kharkongor also highlighted that new weaving clusters and emerging household enterprises are driving market growth and expanding Meghalaya’s presence in global textile branding, with locally made handloom products increasingly meeting export-quality standards.
