Guwahati: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has created a unique business model to empower women ‘Agarbatti’ artisans in Assam and strengthen the local ‘Agarbatti’ industry, which is a major employment creator in the state. KVIC has engaged 70 tribal women with the flagship Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) to set up their own ‘Agarbatti’ manufacturing units at Birkuchi in Kamrup district of Assam. 

KVIC has also roped in a business partner, which is a successful local Agarbatti manufacturer of Assam that will provide raw material and take back all the Agarbatti produced by these 70 women entrepreneurs by paying labour charges. These women belong to seven self-help groups (SHGs).

KVIC on Thursday also inaugurated a Multi-Disciplinary Training Centre (MDTC) at Rupnagar in Assam that will provide training to young entrepreneurs in various self-employment activities like beekeeping, pottery, leather craft, etc. This ‘Agarbatti’ business model is unique in the sense that these women entrepreneurs will be free from the hassle of selling or marketing their finished goods. 

On the other hand, the business partner will enhance his production of Agarbatti without incurring any capital cost on purchasing new machines. KVIC has engaged Mahabahu Agro Products, a leading ‘Agarbatti’ manufacturing unit, which was earlier set up by KVIC under the PMEGP program, as the business partner. /BI/