Hyderabad, March 6 (RAHNUMA): India Hand Made Collective (IHMC), an organisation that aims to bring artisans onto a common platform and address the hardships faced by them, inaugurated its Telangana Chapter (IHMC Pavilion) at the Indira Mahila Shakti Bazar near Hitec City in Hyderabad on Friday.
Renowned actor and animal-rights activist Akkineni Amala, Divya Devarajan, chief executive officer of the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), textile expert and founding member of CCT Vijaya Lakshmi Narne, and agricultural scientist and Executive Director of CSA, Dr G. V. Ramanjaneyalu, inaugurated the IHMC experience centre and store, where a sale-cum-exhibition is being organised.
The IHMC Telangana chapter offers handspun and handwoven naturally dyed fabrics, clothing and accessories, natural fibre crafts, hand-blended natural skincare products, earthen jewellery, lacquer toys, stone cookware, gift combinations, along with hands-on workshops and an experience centre.
Speaking on the occasion, Akkineni Amala emphasised the need for lifestyle changes and said that meaningful transformation often comes through experience rather than theory.
“This inaugural is wonderful because people can come, see and experience. I have also made many important changes in my life, but they did not come by reading a book or by thinking alone. They came when I saw that a better way was possible. Seeing and experiencing is the crux of change,” she said, appreciating IHMC for creating a space in Hyderabad where people can experience indigenous crafts.
SERP CEO Divya Devarajan recalled that the land where the Indira Mahila Shakti Bazar now stands was once abandoned and entangled in legal disputes. She said the Chief Minister was aware that the land parcel could have been auctioned for not less than ₹500 crore, but instead chose to allocate it for women’s empowerment.
Divya Devarajan noted that the government spent ₹9 crore to transform what once resembled a dumping ground into a world-class facility for rural Self-Help Group (SHG) women to showcase and sell their products.
“The idea is to ensure that the profits go directly to the producers – the women – by eliminating intermediaries such as online platforms,” she said.
Divya Devarajan explained that if the space were rented to private individuals, it could be sub-leased, defeating the purpose of the initiative. “That is why we are providing the space free of cost. Today, women SHGs from across Telangana are able to display and sell their products here,” she said.
Divya Devarajan urged people to be conscious about the origin of the products they use and the impact they have on the environment.
She also assured the organisers that Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Dansari Anasuya Seethakka would be invited to visit the stall on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
The IHMC is also organising workshops on bulrush grass craft, palm leaf craft, seed art, hand spinning, Lambadi mirror work, and date palm basket weaving for registered participants, with the aim of educating people about India’s rich heritage of handlooms and handicrafts.
