49 percent of total women entrepreneurs in the country belong to Northeast India

Guwahati: The North East Women Entrepreneurs Association (NEWEA) is pioneering the entrepreneurial spirit in the region by bringing women from far and wide under a single umbrella. This association seeks to empower women through the demonstration and application of appropriate science and technologies. 

Against the backdrop of the 28th NEWEA exhibition cum sale that is currently underway in Guwahati, Business North East interviewed Indu Singh, the General Secretary of the NEWEA's Central Committee and Vice President of its Guwahati Chapter. Here are the excerpts:

BNE: What is the scope for women entrepreneurs in the Northeast and how can the NEWEA help them capitalize on these opportunities?

IS: We once submitted a memorandum to the government that said women from the northeast are born weavers. Since time immemorial, every village woman has had a loom, and hence, women always have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. They would cook their own food, weave their own clothes, and then aid the men in the fields. If you look at national statistics, you will see that 78 percent of the weavers in this country are women, and 49 percent hail from the Northeast. This is the impact of the women entrepreneurs from the region. You don’t have to train them to do handloom and handicrafts and they are taught by their mothers and grandmothers. Food processing and pickle-making are also important industries here, but they are still relegated to the grassroots level. Unfortunately, schemes and opportunities only reach those who are social media-savvy. So, we are not being able to reach up to the grassroots level. We need support from NGOs and government organizations so that we can reach out to people with talent actually capitalize on it.

BNE: Can you give an account of NEWEA's activity state-wise?

IS: Initially, we had 7 sisters in the Northeast and now, there is one brother Sikkim. The organization started in 1994 and slowly made its presence felt in the districts of Assam. Today, we also have chapters in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur and now we are expanding to Meghalaya. We have not been able to reach Tripura and Mizoram till now.  But the good news is, during the 28th North East Women Entrepreneurs’ Association Exhibition cum sale, the Tripura Women’s Association reached out to us. We are planning to add Tripura and Mizoram women to our future exhibitions.

BNE: What are the current challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the Northeast region, and how is the association addressing them?

IS: Government subsidies and schemes are not reaching out to actual women. We, from, the Northeast Women Entrepreneurs Women Association, are trying to reach out to the grassroots level. This is not an easy thing to do. So, we need more manpower and also more support from the government. We have already sent a memorandum to the government stating that we need support. In today’s world, we need more advanced technology to make products as per the customer's demand. For training women in such standards, support from the government will be essential.

BNE: How does the association facilitate collaboration and networking among women entrepreneurs in the region?

IS: We reach out to people who link us with women who are trying entrepreneurial ventures in their own community. Or there are some women who want loom or there are women who are under the poverty line. If we are asked to give them loom or training so that they can start working and support their families. So, this is what we do. Every year we give them a platform. All the women who are sitting here don’t have their own outlets. They work from home and through this exhibition we give them a platform to reach out to people so that people can meet them.

BNE: How does the association provide mentorship and support for women entrepreneurs at different stages of their business development?

IS: We have been supported by various government departments including the National Small Industries Corporation, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), and departments such as APART, NEHHDC, AIDC, and Directorate of Industries and Commerce.

BNE: What steps is the association taking to improve women entrepreneurs' access to funding and capital in the Northeast?

IS: Firstly, through our platforms, women can sell their products. It is a sisterhood in the sense that some of our women entrepreneurs help those who don't have their own stalls by selling them through their units. Secondly, we help entrepreneurs with government subsidies. Of late, they are saying that there are a lot of loans. The women we are working with are not social media savvy and do not know how to get a loan through a mobile. We connect them with the banks who show them the way.

BNE: How is the NEWEA promoting the adoption of technology and innovation among women entrepreneurs in the region?

IS: We are conducting training programmes at the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE). Secondly, we are helping them in preparing natural dyes, which is an innovation. Natural dye is sold for three times as much as the other dyes. But that is only one example. The NEWEA is continuing with its mission to help women entrepreneurs from the region find their footing.

ALSO READ: Assam's 'Deroi Tea' makes a mark with revolutionary carbon-free manufacturing method