inauguration pictures of the Meghalayan Age Store at New Delhi

 

‘MEGHALAYAN AGE’ STORE CREATES CULTURAL BUZZ IN DELHI

Delhi, December 9, 2021:

Meghalaya is well known for its arts, crafts, textiles and agri-produces. However, the State’s

artisans and farmers have not been able to command a premium price for their products due

the lack of an overarching marketing platform that can provide design inputs, quality control

and market connect that can elevate the State’s products into a niche consumer segment

willing to pay top-price for quality and genuineness.

The Meghalayan Age Store, that was inaugurated on 9 th December 2021, is poised to be this

overarching platform that will enable the artisans and farmers of the State to reach-out to the

upper echelons of patrons in India and abroad. The store hosts a wide range of curated

products, ranging from Larnai pottery to Ryndia silk. Additionally, the store also markets

indigenous agri-products of Meghalaya such as Lakadong Turmeric, Wild Forest Honey and

Sohiong Jam.

Shri. Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister for Textiles and Commerce & Industries, inaugurated

the Store in the presence of Shri. Conrad Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya.

Shri. Conrad K. Sangma, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya stated that “Meghalaya is

home to some of the best artisans and farmers in the country; however, unfortunately they

have not been able to get the real worth of their efforts and ingenuity, and that the

Meghalayan Age Store is a step taken by the Government towards enabling artisans and

farmers of the State to attain a higher value and appreciation for their products. He also stated

that the Store will be a platform for the people of Meghalaya to showcase their products and

talent at the Nation’s capital, to a niche consumer segment willing to pay a premium price”.

Smt. R. V. Suchiang, I.A.S. , the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya stated “The Meghalayan Age

brand is an opportunity for the State’s artisans and farmers to sell their products under a

unified umbrella, and that all of the products that are being sold in the store are curated and

quality controlled to ensure that it suits to the taste of a premium clientele; for this, she said

that artisans and farmers were given the necessary guidance and design inputs through the

Ateliers Meghalaya Program. She also thanked the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts,

Government of India for providing a space in the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhavan at Cannaught

place, a location that attracts localities and international tourists alike, for setting-up the

Meghalayan Age Store”.

The Meghalayan Age Store is located within the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhavan at Baba

Kharak Singh Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Apart from being a marketing platform for the

State’s products, the Store also acts as a gateway for tourists who are wanting to visit the State,

by enticing them with a showcase of the State’s culture and its tranquil nature.

For sourcing the arts, crafts and textiles for the Store, the Meghalayan Age Ltd., the State-

owned company owning and operating the store, through its ‘Ateliers Meghalaya Program’

provided a grant of Rs. 5 Lakhs each to select 22 master-artisans/curators to work with

individual artisans across product segments to develop and aggregate marketable products that

can be pitched to a premium market segment. At every stage of production of these products,

artisans were handheld by the master-artisans/curators selected through the Ateliers

Meghalaya Program to ensure quality and adhere to design aesthetics suited to a premium

clientele.

Dr. D. Vijay Kumar, I.A.S., the Chairman and Managing Director of the Meghalayan Age Ltd.

who is also the Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya for Tourism and

Agriculture Departments when enquired about the reason for the choice of the name of the

brand stated that “it is a reference to the geological time period that we are in, and that this

era was coined after the name of the State due to the discovery of a stalagmite in the

Mawmluh Cave situated in Meghalaya which led to the addition of ‘Meghalayan Age’ to the

geological timescale of the planet”.

Talking of the Store, Dr. D. Vijay Kumar stated that “the Meghalayan Age Store at Delhi is a

showcase of the State’s rich heritage, its arts, crafts, culture, music, literature and food; and

that it is also a welcoming call to tourists from across the globe to visit Meghalaya and

experience its rich cultural heritage and serene nature. He also stated that each of the products

placed at the Store tells a story of the place, the people who made it and their traditions;

through which tourists will be enticed to visit Meghalaya”. He went on to say that “agriculture,

tourism, crafts and culture are all facets that are intertwined in the story of the people of

Meghalaya and are essentially inseparable from each other; and therefore, each product is a

treasure that can only be fully relished when the customer visits the region where the product

was made in. While asked about the future expansion plans of the Store, he replied that an

online version of the store is also being prepped to be launched in the next 2-3 months, and

future expansion of the store to other major cities in India is also being planned”.

The architecture of the Store embodies the rich cultural heritage of the 3 major tribes of

Meghalaya, the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo, in a modern architectural esthetic; a true depiction of

the State’s connect to its roots.

The Meghalayan Age Store is part of the State Government’s initiative to enhance the value for

the produces of the State, and to ensure that artisans and farmers get their fair share of the

enhanced value. Meghalaya Age Ltd., is also working on an online version of the store, this

expected to be launched within the next 2-3 months. Future expansion of the Store to other

majors cities in India is also in the pipeline.

ABOUT MEGHALAYA

Meghalaya, meaning “abode of clouds”, is one of the Seven Sister States of northeast India. The state of

Meghalaya is mountainous, with stretches of valley and highland plateaus, and it is geologically rich.

About 70% of the state is forested. The Meghalayan forests are considered to be among the richest

botanical habitats of Asia. These forests receive abundant rainfall and support a vast variety of floral and

faunal biodiversity. The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Khasis, the Garos, and the Jaintias. Each tribe

has its own culture, traditions, dress, and language. The majority of the population and the major tribal

groups in Meghalaya follow a matrilineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through

women.

For more information, please visit:

www.meghalayatourism.in

www.mymeg.meghalaya.gov.in