Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio on Friday virtually launched the Chief Minister’s Yarn Bank Scheme, an initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s handloom sector by providing weavers with affordable access to quality raw materials.
The scheme was launched at the Chief Minister’s Residential Complex in Kohima on the occasion of the 12th National Handloom Day, according to a DIPR report.
Speaking at the programme, Rio described the handloom sector as an important part of Nagaland’s identity, culture and resilience. He said traditional textiles represented the heritage of the state’s different tribes and paid tribute to weavers, particularly women, for keeping the state’s traditional weaving practices alive.
Rio said the availability of quality natural yarn at affordable prices had remained a major challenge for weavers. Many were required to travel long distances to purchase raw materials, adding to their transportation and production costs.
To address the problem, a Yarn Bank has been established at the District Industries Centre at the State Industrial Park in Toluvi, Dimapur. The facility will function as a centralised source for supplying quality natural yarn to weavers across Nagaland.
Under the scheme, natural yarns including cotton, eri silk, muga silk, bamboo fibre and other natural fibre blends will be made available at mill-gate prices. The state government will provide a 15 per cent subsidy to eligible weavers, helping reduce the cost of raw materials.
The scheme is expected to benefit between 5,000 and 10,000 weavers every year. Beneficiaries holding Yarn Pass Books will be able to procure yarn through a transparent distribution system.
Rio said the Yarn Bank should not be viewed only as a mechanism for supplying raw materials, but as part of a wider effort to reduce production costs, improve productivity and increase household incomes while protecting Nagaland’s traditional textile heritage.
He urged government departments, cooperative societies, self-help groups and community institutions to work together to ensure that the scheme reaches deserving weavers in all districts of the state.
Adviser for Industries and Commerce Hekani Jakhalu said the scheme addresses one of the key difficulties faced by the handloom sector by making quality natural yarn more affordable and accessible.
She thanked the chief minister for sanctioning funds from the Chief Minister’s Innovative Fund for 2025-26 for establishing the facility.
Jakhalu said the scheme is being implemented under the National Handloom Development Programme in accordance with the Raw Material Supply Scheme guidelines of the Union Ministry of Textiles.
To qualify, individual weavers must have a valid Handloom Mark identity card and register through the designated mobile application. Cooperative societies with at least 10 members will also be eligible to benefit from the scheme.
The department is also planning several measures to ensure transparency in the distribution and subsidy process. These include a real-time digital inventory and subsidy tracking system, third-party audits, district-level monitoring committees, a toll-free helpline and a grievance redressal mechanism.
Jakhalu expressed confidence that the initiative would improve the availability of raw materials, increase productivity and strengthen the livelihoods of thousands of weavers across Nagaland.
