Great Initiative: TPWODL’s Anokha Dhaaga weaves new hopes for Western Odisha artisans
TPWODL opens first centre in Sambalpur to turn traditional craftsmanship into sustainable livelihoods
By Simran Prusty
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 12: It surely an amazing story packed with inspiring inputs. For generations, the people of Western Odisha have preserved their rich cultural heritage through handwoven textiles, bamboo products, terracotta and intricate embroidery. However, for many traditional artisans, possessing these skills has not always translated into a dependable source of income. Limited access to modern skills, organised production facilities and wider markets has often restricted their economic opportunities.
Now, an initiative by TP Western Odisha Distribution Limited (TPWODL) seeks to bridge this gap by connecting traditional craftsmanship with entrepreneurship and market opportunities.
The company has established its first ‘Anokha Dhaaga’ Centre in Sambalpur, offering free skill development, production support and market linkages to local artisans, particularly women. The centre aims to help traditional craft practitioners improve their products, develop new designs and turn their inherited skills into sustainable income-generating enterprises.
The initiative is significant for Western Odisha, where approximately 5,275 artisans are already associated with traditional crafts under the Anokha Dhaaga programme. The new centre will focus on strengthening the region’s distinctive craft traditions, including Sambalpuri textiles, bamboo crafts, terracotta and embroidery.
Rather than limiting its intervention to training, the programme follows a broader approach encompassing community mobilisation, skill enhancement, product development, production support and marketing. The objective is to help artisans move beyond traditional production practices and develop products that meet changing consumer preferences without losing their cultural identity.
Anokha Dhaaga is a flagship livelihood and micro-enterprise initiative of the Tata Power Community Development Trust (TPCDT), the community-development arm of Tata Power. It works with women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), farmers’ collectives, persons with disabilities and local artisan communities to strengthen their skills and entrepreneurial capabilities.
The programme has already established a considerable footprint across the country, engaging more than 15,000 active SHG members through 25 centres. It has generated over Rs 5 crore in revenue through more than 50 business-to-business (B2B) collaborations. Its network also includes over 2,700 SHGs with more than 5,500 producer members.
Speaking on the initiative, TPWODL CEO Parveen Verma said traditional crafts could become sustainable sources of livelihood when artisans were equipped with appropriate skills and access to markets.
“Through Anokha Dhaaga, we aim to preserve the rich craft heritage of Western Odisha while enabling local artisans, particularly women, to build independent and sustainable enterprises. The Sambalpur centre is a step in that direction,” he said.
A major challenge confronting traditional artisans is the lack of access to markets beyond their immediate geographical areas. To address this, TPWODL is developing a multi-channel marketing network that will combine direct sales with opportunities to showcase locally produced goods on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho. Such linkages are expected to give artisans access to customers across the country and improve the commercial viability of their products.
