The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited, operating under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, on Monday inaugurated a six-day Residential Advanced Management Development Programme at the campus of the National Institute of Design, Jorhat.
The programme, supported by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, will run from February 23 to 28, 2026.
The inaugural session was attended by J. P. Sampath, Director, NID Assam; Dulumoni Kalita, Registrar and CAO (I/c), NID Jorhat; senior officials from NEHHDC; faculty members; and participants from Assam, Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
In his address, Sampath said there is a need to integrate design-led innovation with managerial capabilities to strengthen the handloom and handicrafts sector. He stated that the craft traditions of the Northeast hold cultural and commercial value, and that structured management initiatives can enable entrepreneurs and artisans to expand sustainably, adopt innovation and respond to market changes. He also referred to the role of collaborations between design institutions and sectoral organisations in supporting the creative industries.
Kalita outlined the structure of the six-day curriculum, stating that it combines conceptual learning with practical application. According to her, the sessions will cover enterprise leadership, design integration in product development, branding and market positioning, financial and operational management, export readiness and strategic growth planning. She said the programme is intended to provide participants with practical tools and structured approaches that can be implemented within their enterprises and institutions.
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The Advanced Management Development Programme has been designed as a residential capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening managerial competence, leadership skills and market readiness within the handloom and handicrafts ecosystem. Participants include craft entrepreneurs, start-up founders, senior artisans moving into enterprise roles, sector professionals and officials from implementing agencies, creating a platform for peer learning and collaboration.
Officials from NEHHDC said the initiative is in line with the organisation’s mandate to promote, preserve and develop handloom and handicraft traditions in Northeast India through capacity building, design support, entrepreneurship development and market linkages. They added that the collaboration with NID Jorhat, supported by the Ministry of MSME, seeks to integrate traditional craftsmanship with contemporary management and design approaches.
The programme will focus on enterprise leadership and sector insights, design-led product development, branding, pricing and market access strategies, financial management, export readiness and enterprise action planning. Participants are expected to develop structured growth plans aligned with current market requirements.
The six-day programme is being conducted as a fully sponsored residential initiative, with boarding and lodging provided to selected participants.
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