Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao today launched the
eGolkonda Shopping Portal of the Telangana State Handicrafts Development Corporation (TSHDC).
The portal has been launched to enable handicrafts and handloom lovers from across the country to buy authentic artefacts from Telangana at the click of a button. The service will eventually be made a global one.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister stated that the Telangana government was making several efforts to strengthen the TSHDC in order to protect traditional artisans in the state. He said, "The move to launch the e-Golkonda portal will prove beneficial to many artisans in Telangana as this will provide to them an e-marketing space through which they will be able to find buyers for their ornate works from across the globe. The portal has been designed with much care and is far more advanced than many other private e-commerce websites in terms of design, operational convenience and a friendly user interface."
"People can view each handicraft or handloom product in 3D format on the portal which is accessible through mobiles as well. We hope that this portal will help in marketing and promoting Telangana's many beautiful handicrafts and handlooms on a large-scale as this will make traditional art forms a viable means of livelihood," Rao added.
KTR also mentioned that after obtaining the necessary permissions from the union government, facilities would be made available for global shipping of the artefacts as well.
"As part of its other efforts to strengthen traditional artisans, our government is setting up a common facility centre, besides providing skill development training, technical skilling and marketing for the products developed by the artisans. We have been trying to extend to them all the support they require, and will continue to do so," he asserted.
Labour Minister Malla Reddy, Principal Secretary (Industries and Commerce) Jayesh Ranjan, TSHDC Chairman B Sampath Kumar and textile department secretary Shailaja Ramaiyer were among those who attended the launch.
Later in the day, KTR also attended an event at which he felicitated Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao for helping Telangana win over 12 awards from the Centre under its Deendayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran program. On the occasion, he promised to increase spending on rural development.