The road to entrepreneurship is paved with many challenges. Women entrepreneurs often face obstacles in the form of access to opportunities and unconscious biases.
In the Northeast, women entrepreneurs face barriers in terms of infrastructure and supply chains due to difficult terrain.
However, despite these limiting factors, many of them are gaining traction in India and globally for their creative innovations and products.
Meet four female entrepreneurs who have made a name for themselves and their companies with their unique ideas.
Rita Hair, Naara Awa
I ran out
Raised in the countryside of Arunachal Pradesh, I ran out It reminds me of a home surrounded by fruit trees, fish ponds, large vegetable gardens, rustling bamboo and pine trees, and chirping birds.
Her first memory of wine was at a traditional festival of a tribe called Myoko, when she saw shamans dressed as monks taste millet sake and offer it to the gods. Kiwi Once convinced that wine from the fruit was a viable idea, Rita launched her winery, which she spent nearly six years in research and development.
In 2016, she launched Naara Ababaa range of wines made from kiwi fruit from the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
A few years ago she started making wine from plums, pears and peaches.
Demand for the product is constant, Rita said, but the irregular distribution network is a big challenge.
In March of this year, Rita received the Nari Shakti Puraskar Award from President Ram Nath Kovind for her work in promoting women’s entrepreneurship.
Iaishah Rymbai, Eri Weave
Coming from a family of weavers, Iaisha Limbai Learn Eri silk weaving techniques from mother Priscilla Limbai.
In 2016, I received an order from a school teacher, Limbai, to make 50 silk scarves for Eli. To carry out orders, you need the help of villagers, especially women. Since the raw materials for the thread were widely available in the region, she went from house to house and encouraged women to learn the art of weaving Eri silk.
Although skeptical at first, she was able to enroll in a women’s group and was trained in Eri silk spinning and weaving.
Eri silk is vegan and non-violent unlike other silks. It is also called Ahimsa silk because it is processed without killing the silkworms. Eliweave’s products, which consist of scarves, stoles and fabrics, are sold on online channels such as Facebook and Instagram. It is also available on his website at the company.
Vekuvolu Dozo, Viko Ethnic
From the tiny hamlet of Naga United Village in Dimapur, Nagaland, Vekvor earthen storehouse We operate an ethnic weaving brand, vico ethnicmanufactures home accessories such as , table linens and apparel. We currently have different collections with a customer base from all over India.
This enterprise accepted several women from the village. Many of them were widows, giving them the opportunity to make a living using their familiar skills.
Veku’s handwoven products are available on the Instagram handle under her name and on WhatsApp. Products include handbags, pouches, table linens and pure cotton mekela (wraparound). Veku’s products even made it to Paris through trade shows.
Paulmie Gogoi and Dr Tanushree Devi, Woven Tales of North East
Pommie Gogoi When Dr. Tanushree Devi We use water hyacinth (a weed that grows abundantly in the waters of the Northeast) to create sustainable and eco-friendly products.
The Woven Tales of North East is a brand associated with two female-dominated artisan groups in the town of Nagaon, 120km from Guwahati. Each cluster has about 60 female artists trained to work with water her hyacinths. The raw material is collected and only the stems are dried and used.
Apart from regular baskets, Woven Tales of North East also offers handbooks and notebooks made from recycled paper and covered with water hyacinth. Other products include gift boxes and tissue boxes.
Currently, only the stems are used, but entrepreneurs are experimenting with using the leaves and roots to create a variety of products.