S & T Intervention for Revitalizing Heritage Metal Craft of Odisha

❖ High-quality products of brass bell metal and Dhokra handicrafts will be produced

❖ Artisans’ livelihoods will become more prosperous: Minister Pradeep Bal Samant

Bhubaneswar, 2025 : Modern technology will be applied in brass bell metal and Dhokra handicrafts. By integrating scientific and technological knowledge with traditional craftsmanship, the quality of products can be improved and higher production can be achieved at lower cost, said the Minister of Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, Shri Pradeep Bal Samanta.

Inaugurating a workshop and training camp organized at CSIR–IMMT for the revitalization of Odisha’s traditional metal crafts, the Hon’ble Minister stated that through the use of modern technology involving less pollution, lower cost, less time, and reduced physical effort, it is possible to produce superior-quality products. As a result, the sale of brass bell metal and Dhokra handicrafts will increase significantly, and the economic condition and livelihoods of artisans will become more prosperous.

Participating in the programme, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department, Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, said that when artisans’ traditional skills are combined with scientific knowledge, the production of higher-quality goods becomes possible. Good-quality products can win the hearts of consumers, leading to better business prospects.

The Director of IMMT, Dr. Ramanujan Narayan, stated that the objective is to take Odisha’s rich handicraft heritage to the global level with the support of technology. Handicrafts Director Dr. Nivedita Pusti expressed hope that this training camp would not only help revive the lost glory of metal crafts but also create new employment opportunities and strengthen the rural economy.

The workshop and training camp were organized jointly by the Directorate of Handicrafts and CSIR–IMMT. More than 250 bell metal–brass and Dhokra artisans from 13 districts of Odisha participated in the programme. The camp will help enhance artisans’ skills as well as contribute to their economic growth.

Scientists from CSIR–IMMT, including Dr. A. K. Chaubey and Dr. Y. S. Choudhury; Deputy Director of Handicrafts Mangobinda Jena; and Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and Handicrafts Development Officers from various districts also attended the programme.

Team Maverick.