The vibrant Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav, organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, hosted an exclusive buyer-seller meet that brought together sellers from the northeastern states and buyers from various parts of the country, according to an official statement issued on Monday. 

The two-day event, held at Bharat Mandapam here, aimed to foster long-term business relationships between North East India’s artisans with buyers from other parts of the country in order to open up a wider market for them.

The buyer-seller meet facilitated direct business interactions between sellers from the region across four key sectors including textiles, sericulture, handloom & handicrafts; gems, jewellery & allied; agriculture & horticulture; and tourism.

This platform encouraged bulk orders, long-term business relationships, and immediate trade deals to boost the economic development of the region.

Senior officers of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd (NEHHDC), and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) were also present at the event.

During the opening session, the Advisor, NEHHDC highlighted the advantages of the northeastern region and opportunities available for investment in the region. The Chief Business Officer, ONDC mentioned that ONDC, a tech-based initiative, is to transform the way e-commerce functions in the country by enabling e-commerce through an open protocol based on open-source specifications. The initiative will not only facilitate the rapid adoption of e-commerce, but also boost and strengthen the growth of startups in India. By facilitating scalable and cost-effective e-commerce through the open protocol, ONDC will empower startups to grow collaboratively. He also highlighted that the ONDC in collaboration with NEHHDC is onboarding artisans of the northeastern region on their platform to increase their market linkage.

The Managing Director, NEHHDC appreciated the initiatives taken by MDoNER and stated that such kind of initiatives will not only help in the promotion of indigenous products of the northeastern region but also help in the economic prosperity of the local artisans and weavers of the region. Joint Secretary, MDoNER underlined that the region is confident for growth, with strategic investments and can emerge as a leader in various sectors. She mentioned that the Central and state governments, through their initiatives/schemes, have created a favourable environment for investment in the region. She also mentioned that all eight states provide unique opportunities to investors. The MDoNER as well as all the northeastern states are committed to extending necessary support for investment in the region.