Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh inaugurated EKTA Meghalaya (Exhibition cum Knowledge Sharing for Textiles Advantage) and the Integrated Textile Tourism Centre (ITTC) at Nongpoh in Meghalaya today. The event was attended by Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for Textiles & External Affairs; Metbah Lyngdoh, State Minister, Department of Textiles, Meghalaya; P. Sivakumar, Member Secretary, Central Silk Board (CSB); and other senior officials.

The Central Silk Board (CSB) under Ministry of Textiles in association with the Department of Textiles, Government of Meghalaya placed exhibition stalls during EKTA Meghalaya (Exhibition cum Knowledge Sharing for Textiles Advantage) at the Integrated Textile Tourism Centre (ITTC), Nongpoh.

The integrated textiles tourism Centre (ITTC) is a flagship initiative of the Department of Textiles Meghalaya and Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India. ITTC designed as an immersive cultural hub, brings together craftsmanship, culture, skill development and visitor experience under a single, first-of-its-kind experimental destination while highlighting Meghalaya’s unique textile tradition especially Eri Silk. EKTA Meghalaya brings together Silk, Handloom, Handicrafts, Jute, and Technical Textiles on one platform, promoting knowledge sharing, innovation, market linkages, and inter-state collaboration.

In his address, Giriraj Singh highlighted the North-East’s transformative potential in textiles, emphasising Eri and Muga silk, value addition, and livelihood-driven growth.

Pabitra Margherita in his address focused on artisan empowerment, skill development, technology adoption, and youth entrepreneurship, praising Meghalaya’s leadership in Eri silk.

P. Sivakumar outlined CSB’s initiatives to strengthen the sericulture value chain and reaffirmed support for scaling up Eri and Muga production through scientific and market-led interventions.