Jorhat, Assam | 23 February (WE THE NAGAS): The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC), under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), Government of India, in collaboration with the National Institute of Design (NID),
Jorhat, today inaugurated the 6-Day Residential Advanced Management Development
Programme (AMDP) at the NID Campus, Jorhat. The programme, supported by the Ministry of
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, will be conducted from 23rd
to 28th February 2026.
The inaugural session was graced by Dr. J. P. Sampath, Director, NID Assam; Ms. Dulumoni
Kalita, Registrar & CAO (I/c), NID Jorhat; and senior officials from NEHHDC, along with faculty
members and participants representing various states of the Northeast including Assam,
Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
In his inaugural address, Dr. J. P. Sampath, Director, NID Assam, emphasised the importance of
integrating design-led innovation with strong managerial capabilities to transform the handloom
and handicrafts sector into globally competitive enterprises. He highlighted that the rich craft
traditions of the Northeast possess significant cultural and commercial potential, and that
structured management development initiatives can empower entrepreneurs and artisans to
scale sustainably, adopt innovation and respond effectively to evolving market dynamics. He
also underscored the significance of collaborative programmes between premier design
institutions and sectoral organisations like NEHHDC in building a future-ready ecosystem for the
creative industries.
Ms. Dulumoni Kalita, Registrar & CAO (I/c), NID Jorhat, elaborated on the academic and practical framework of the programme, noting that the six-day curriculum has been carefully designed to combine conceptual learning with hands-on applications. She stated that 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 added that the programme aims to equip participants with practical tools and structured approaches that can be directly implemented to strengthen their enterprises and institutional initiatives.
The Advanced Management Development Programme has been conceptualised as an intensive residential capacity building initiative to enhance managerial competence, leadership skills and market-readiness of stakeholders in the handloom and handicrafts ecosystem. The programme has brought together craft entrepreneurs, startup founders, senior artisans transitioning into enterprise roles, professionals from the sector and officials from implementing agencies, thereby fostering a diverse platform for peer learning and cross-sectoral collaboration.
Officials from NEHHDC reiterated that the initiative aligns with the organisation’s mandate of promoting, preserving and developing the rich handloom and handicraft traditions of Northeast India through capacity building, design support, entrepreneurship development and market linkage initiatives. The collaboration with NID Jorhat, with support from the Ministry of MSME, marks a significant step towards integrating traditional craftsmanship with contemporary management and design perspectives to create sustainable and scalable enterprises.
The programme will focus on enterprise leadership and sector insights, design-led product development, branding, pricing and market access strategies, financial management and export readiness, and enterprise action planning. Participants are expected to develop structured enterprise growth plans aligned with current market requirements, thereby contributing to strengthening livelihoods and enhancing the competitiveness of Northeast India’s craft sector in national and global markets.
The six-day programme is being conducted as a fully sponsored residential initiative, with boarding and lodging provided to all selected participants, reaffirming NEHHDC and NID’s commitment to inclusive and impactful capacity building in the region.