Manipur exhibits local products for global consumers

Our Correspondent
Imphal, March 20 (EMN): Manipur began exploring and exhibiting locally made products and other potentials for the global audiences in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s calls for ‘Vocal for local to go global’, a step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.

A number of made in Manipur products right from organic food to indigenously developed agricultural machines, aromatic items, handicraft, fabrics made with traditional methods and various other aesthetically packaged products are exhibited at the ongoing ‘Mai-own 2021,’ a week-long exhibition in Imphal. Mai-own in Manipuri literally means direction.

The tagline of the exhibition “From our courtyards to the world” captures the essence of the concept, says principal secretary of municipal administration, housing and urban development, PK Singh, the key man behind the event.

Speaking to this reporter, entrepreneur Thoudam Benazi of Benazi tea, which produced local tea made out of lotus, ginger, lemon and black rice etc. said, “I participate in the exhibition to show that we can also produce something based on our local resources for the local consumption as well as others.”

Similarly participating in the exhibition, Imphalite Hero Thokchom of Golden Transpower, which manufactures electric power transformers of different capacities said, “Initially, we’re targeting to fill the local demands as we’ve already supplied 100 transformer units for local government. Now we’re planning to provide 200 more units in the state.”

Highlighting the market potentials of their products such as hot and sweet milk chocolate made of ‘U-morok’(king chillies) and hand-made soaps made of lotus and organic ‘black rice,’ entrepreneur Mayopam from Ukhrul informed that most of their products are also available in local stores. “Now we’ve also started to export outside the state,” he said.

The black pottery artisan from Manipur’s Ukhrul district, Hommi Kumrah said that his journey in making black pottery started in 2013 with merely INR 5,000 in hand. With the passage of time, the turnover is now around INR 5 lakhs annually. He began the journey in making black pottery without any financial or material support from the government.

His production unit is located at Nungbi Khullen with marketing outlets at Ukhrul, Imphal and Mumbai. The black pots are made out of serpentine rock mixed with an equal quantity of unique clay found only in the Nungbi area.

On Tuesday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh formally inaugurated the exhibition. It would culminate on March 22.