An initiative of connecting and presenting rich tradition and culture of weavers and artisans of Assam blended with contemporary designs and product to the world. With each purchase, you will be directly contributing 100 percent towards sustainable livelihood for weavers and artisans.

Saar Subansiri Handloom is a women weavers & artisans producer company incubated through the intervention, “Establishment of Community Enterprise on Handloom Products at Dhemaji & Lakhimpur Districts, Assam”, implemented by NHPC Ltd. in consultation with IRMA (Institute of Rural Management Anand) through network partner Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) with the sole purpose to enhance income and create suitable livelihood opportunities for women weavers and embroidery artisans of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji Districts of Assam. To achieve the same, the Project has introduced new designs/products, capacitate weavers in new designs & products, dyeing knowhow including natural dye, improved production & weaving practices and required management and marketing skills for successful management of the company and supported the beneficiaries with creation of a common infrastructure (CFC) and having required facilities for improved hand loom and embroidery based production.

This Producer Company branded as “SAAR Subansiri Handloom” endeavors to weave rich tradition of Assam with contemporary designs through Eri and other yarns blended with natural colors to create unique fabric. Producer company is motivated to bring an unique reflection of rich Assamese culture mixed with contemporary fashionable designs and products.

SAAR Subansiri handloom is an all women weavers and embroidery artisan’s producer company originates from Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam. Dhemaji is located to the north of the river Brahmaputra whereas Lakhimpur figures largely in the annals of Assam as the region where tribes from the east first reached the Brahmaputra. To its north lies the state of Arunanchal Pradesh. Landscape of Dhemaji and Lakhimpur district mesmerizingly beautiful as it is covered by Himalaya of Arunanchal Pradesh on one side and other side if covered with lush green paddy field of Assam, bisected by Subansiri river being the biggest tributary of mighty river Brahmaputra and several river flows, small streams coming down from the Himalaya.

Both these districts were originally inhabited by various indigenous tribes like Mising, Sonowal Kachari, Bodo Kachari, Deori and Laloong. In addition to this different ethnic groups e.g. Ahom, Rabha, Tai – Khamti, Konch, Keot, Koiborta, Brahman, Kayastha, Kalita etc. were migrated during different time span to and enriched the culture of Assam. The present culture, lifestyle, and of course weaving patterns and motiffs largely have been shaped through the influence of various tribal and other ethnic groups and each having its own uniqueness. The river Subansiri also knowns as the “Gold River” has significantly significance influenced the culture of various tribal groups and has become part of their economic as well as cultural lifestyle also.

Dhemaji and Lakhimpur since decades have been celebrating various artforms, traditions, and values which reflect their lives and livelihoods in a large manner.  Up to 35,000 weavers are involved with weaving of mekhla chador or Gamocha since centuries in traditional way by using indigenous bamboo loom. Techniques and skills of these weavers are such that without using any modernized version of loom, flawlessly they weave their traditional designs which are filled with local folklore, culture, tribal motifs etc. Weavers mostly use locally produced and often handspun yarns eri-silk (which is also known as Ahimsha Silk), cotton, muga (special yarn of Assam and also most expensive yarn), tussar which are woven colorfully into Mekhla chadors, mufflers, stoles, shawls, and sarees. Mekhla chador which is the most woven product normally requires 7 days while Gamocha (a standard floral design) requires 1 day to produce by a weaver.

Project “Establishment on Community Enterprise on Handloom Products at Dhemaji and Lakhimpur Districts, Assam” implemented by NHPC Ltd. in consultation with IRMA (Institute of Rural Management Anand) through network partner Foundation for MSME Clusters (FMC) is to enhance income and create suitable infrastructure for women hand-loom weavers of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji Districts of Assam. To achieve the same, the Project has introduced new designs/products, identified new market linkage, generated orders for approved samples, capacitate weavers in the new designs, create common infrastructure (CFC) having required facilities for improved hand loom production.

Under this Project only, SAAR Handloom Producer Company Limited has been incubated and is being promoted and branded as SAAR Subansiri Handloom which endeavours to weave rich tradition of Assam with contemporary designs through eri and other yarns blended with natural colours to create unique fabric. The producer company is being manged by women weavers and embroidery artisans of these two districts with the ambition of bringing market directly to the producer with higher income opportunities as with each of the products purchased, 100 percent goes back to the weavers only.