Shillong, Sept. 05: In a way to harness the power of design thinking and innovation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today between the Meghalayan Age Limited (MAL), a state Government company and National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, which is under the aegis of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
This strategic partnership aims to establish a collaborative framework between NID and the MAL, Government of Meghalaya to leverage Design Thinking & Innovation and Design expertise for the development of Meghalaya. The MOU was signed between Dr Vijay Kumar D, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Planning, Investment Promotion, and Sustainable Development Department (PIDSD) & Chairman & Managing Director, Meghalayan Age Limited (MAL), Government of Meghalaya with Shri Praveen Nahar, Director of National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.
Addressing the meeting, Dr Vijay Kumar D, IAS, said that through this MoU, the Government of Meghalaya focuses on three priorities- Development of Meghalaya State Design Policy Framework, development of the Institutional Framework for Meghalaya Design Lab, and establishment of Shillong as UNESCOs leading ‘Design City’.
Moreover, the MoU also entails on implementation of Design Thinking and Innovation workshops, facilitation of exposure visits for Meghalaya’s stakeholders/artisans/craftsmen from the handicraft/handloom community to NID and other craft and design institutes based out of different region of Gujarat and development of few clusters in Meghalaya related to Bamboo Handicrafts subjected on the availability of NID’s faculty resources, time, and other institutional priorities. Notably, the period of the MoU shall be for three years and marks a significant step towards establishing Meghalaya as a hub for design-led development.
