HCL Foundation, the CSR arm of HCLTech, launched the first-of-its-kind My E-Haat Display Center in Noida, UP, India. Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President and Director, HCL Foundation and Ms. Aoife Walsh, Senior Director, Global Thought Leadership, HCLTech inaugurated the Display Center.
This Display Center is an extension of My E-Haat, an online commerce portal launched in the year 2021 by HCL Foundation, to help artisans and community members showcase and market their products and be present at the center of the value chain. This portal is dedicated to strengthening the artisanal economy and promoting the philosophy of artisan-to-customer and artisan-to-business models. The My E-Haat portal enables the artisans and primary producers to showcase their products, thereby minimizing the informal intermediaries and empowering the self-help group of women and artisans across the country.
The My E-Haat Display Center has 1000+ products on display, promoting the stories of artisans and communities from across the country. The facility also has a live demonstration of handloom weaving, other handicrafts like Madhubani art, crochet making by artisans, and a dedicated corner for HCL Foundation's Samuday Craft products.
The Display Center also conducts artisan training and skill enhancement workshops. It facilitates centralized inventory support and product quality control support and is also equipped with a dedicated photography studio. My E-Haat has also facilitated 1000+ artisans' registration for artisan cards, which offers a wide range of benefits, including easy access to finance, design support, exhibition opportunities and eligibility to other government schemes.
As part of the first phase, five My E-Haat clusters are getting access to craft mark certification, an audit-based authentication system that authenticates genuine handicrafts after thorough checks on fair practices, ethical sourcing and authentic craft procedures. In addition, KOSHA, a technology-based craft authentication system using blockchain technology, IoT, AI, and cloud computing, provides information to the customer regarding geo-movement tracking, time duration of crafting and who made the product. These certifications help gain customer trust and expand the reach of artisan-made products to broader markets.
The center will also facilitate Artisans to participate in Shilp Charcha, an ongoing series of Webinars to discuss various aspects of the trade and industry. My E-Haat also aims to create an ecosystem for craft-based enterprises to become sustainable and strengthen the Indian handicraft sector.
Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President & Director, HCL Foundation said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of My E-Haat Display Centre and wholeheartedly congratulate all the artisans who are displaying their products. It is heartening to see them creating these environmentally friendly products that everyone is eager to use. The My E-Haat initiative will help promote art & culture and help build social security and financial independence among women. We at HCL Foundation, keep social security at the top of our agenda. We are looking to welcome more women entrepreneurs and artisans to join hands with the HCL Foundation to contribute to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”