The grass-to-gold industry in Odisha’s tribal heartland is flourishing
The Hindu
Trained by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, women in Mayurbhanj innovate their way to success in pandemic
They found an opportunity during a pandemic. While the COVID-19 outbreak cast immense misery on the livelihood of millions in the country, a tribe in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district took up the challenge to expand its wares.
A group of 200 women belonging to the Bathudi tribe in a remote village of Mayurbhanj began research and development in their own small way and are now reaping the benefits. From a basket of 100 crafts made of the Sabai grass, they have churned out 300 crafts in a year.
The Sabai grass is a natural fibre grown abundantly in the hilly areas of Mayurbhanj. About a decade ago, it was mainly used for making ropes only.