IIM Sambalpur will provide small business entrepreneurs with verbal language mentoring

For Master Weavers of Western Odisha, IIM Sambalpur organised the second edition of a 12-day weekend certificate programme dubbed the 'Small Business Management Training Programme' in collaboration with SIDBI to transform and promote business while maintaining culture and tradition.

The course, run by the Centre for Responsible Business, focuses on several topics, including operation, design, digital marketing, GST, financial management, and communication skills.

About twenty-five Master Weavers are undergoing the program, which focuses on marketing via online retailers like Flipkart, Amazon, and ONDC.

Commitment to the Handloom industry in India

The director of IIM Sambalpur, Professor Mahadeo Jaiswal, emphasized the institution's commitment to recognising and assisting India's native handloom sector. He made the observation that, prior to British colonization, 25% of the world's textile manufacturing was produced in India; today, that percentage is less than 3%.

Educational information In vernacular language

Professor Jaiswal said, "We think the textile industry is crucial for India's development." "We first collaborated with Flipkart to advance marketing and distribution.

But to provide business training, we realized that our talented master weavers and craftspeople needed a foundational understanding of concepts like marketing, GST, and invoicing. All faculties use Odia languages to offer courses in areas including strategy, operations, financial management, marketing management, and more.

IIM Sambalpur is the first management school in India thanks to its innovative endeavour to provide business education in the local language, with a focus on assisting small businesses."

Global Trends and Market Creation

He went on to say, "The goal of the next training phase is to improve market generation skills. Global market trends and the five Ps of marketing—Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People—are covered in the curriculum. Global product marketing is the goal of a startup that is in the process of receiving incubation support. "Our ultimate goal is to elevate India's weaving industry globally by creating a 'Bunkar Valley,' akin to Silicon Valley."

Taking up the Sustainability trope

Sambalpur's DM and Collector, Akshay Sunil Agrawal, emphasized the significance of comprehending India's environmental issues. "There is a big generational divide, and we should want to grow rather than merely get by.

It is essential to comprehend market trends, desires, and the bridging of information and economic differences. Craftspeople, such as those in Sambalpur, rely on successful product packaging, marketing, and knowledge of current fashion trends to thrive.

This kind of initiative, which includes interactive sessions and feedback, is essential for addressing problems and coming up with solutions."

Stimulating weavers

"Artists and scientists from all over the world come here to learn the art of weaving, which cannot be replicated by machinery or computers—it requires the weavers themselves," said Ramkrishna Meher, a World Craft Council Awardee (UNESCO, 2018) and 2015 National Awardee for Handloom.

Weavers' lives have changed significantly as a result of IIM Sambalpur's efforts to train them and enable their products reach foreign markets, maintaining weaving culture, developing tradition, and empowering weavers."

Future training phases will enhance market creation skills and promote global product marketing.

The initiative aims to create a 'Bunkar Valley' to elevate India's weaving industry. Akshay Sunil Agrawal emphasised the need to address sustainability challenges, while Ramkrishna Meher and Dr Surendra Meher praised the programme’s impact on preserving and advancing the weaving tradition and empowering weavers.