Kotpad weaving, widely acclaimed for its high-quality craftsmanship, artistic motifs, and use of organic natural dyes, holds immense potential to become a global apparel brand, experts opined at a programme held at the Central University of Odisha (CUO), Koraput.
The valedictory session of the two-weekend Master Weavers’ Management Training Programme was jointly organised by the CUO-Koraput and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Sambalpur under a Memorandum of Understanding between the two premier institutions as part of an initiative of the Union Ministry of Education, Government of India.
The valedictory session was graced by Dr. Ramendra Kumar Parhi, Dean (Students’ Welfare), CUO, as the distinguished guest, and Duryodhan Sethi, Finance Officer, CUO, as the guest of honour. Prof. Narasingha Charan Panda, Vice-Chancellor of CUO, congratulated the organising team on successfully conducting the collaborative programme with IIM Sambalpur. He assured the University’s support for the future progress and upliftment of the Kotapad traditional weavers at both the state and national levels.
Dr Parhi hailed the training as a milestone in CUO’s social outreach efforts and expressed confidence that Kotpad apparel would soon secure its rightful place in the global fashion industry. He urged the University’s management scholars to treat Kotpad weaving as a project of national importance and contribute towards its global branding.
Sethi highlighted that the collaboration between CUO and the Kotpad weavers marks the beginning of a meaningful social partnership.
He hoped that the CUO–IIM Sambalpur collaboration would extend beyond the training programme to further empower the weaver community and enhance global recognition of Kotpad handloom.
Programme Coordinator Dr Prasant Kumar Behera presented a report on the four-day event, expressing gratitude to the 40 participating weavers, including 12 women, for their dedication. Four national award-winning weavers—Kapileswar Mahonto, Jagabandhu Samrath, Baidanath Samrath, and Khagpati Panika—were felicitated.
Faculty from CUO and IIM Sambalpur, including Dr Sumita Sindhi, Dr Bhairab Chandra Patra, Dr Sujit Kumar Pruseth, Dr Prasant Kumar Behera, Dr Subash Chandra Patnaik, Dr Sitanath Raiguru, and Dr Deepak Kumar Goyal, conducted the sessions on branding, product diversification, online business, and sustainable growth. Dr Sitanath Raiguru shared participant feedback, and Dr Subash Chandra Patnaik proposed the vote of thanks.