The Hindu Business Line : Exim Bank, SEWA sign pact

As part of its multi-pronged drive to support and increase the export of handicrafts and non-form products from various rural parts of India, the Export-Import Bank of India has signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC) here for active promotion of handcrafted products.

The MoC was signed by the Exim Bank Chairman and Managing Director, Mr T.C. Venkat Subramanian, and the STFC Chairperson, Ms Reema Nanavaty, marking an important milestone in the bank's initiatives to promote and facilitate participation of villages and rural grassroots enterprises in the globalisation process, the bank said in a release here.

STFC is a company promoted by Ahmedabad-based Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), headed by Ms Ila Bhatt, Magsaysay awardee for social service.

The centre is a commercial enterprise formed by more than 15,000 rural artisan-shareholder SEWA members from the desert districts of North Gujarat to overcome their impoverished condition through enhanced trade.

STFC has transformed its activity into a sustainable and commercially viable enterprise, providing full income and livelihood security to its shareholders through effective integration with mainstream national and global markets.

The MoC will help STFC to expand its presence and product range in the overseas market through networking with the bank's business contacts abroad.

The bank will also help STFC in enhancing product quality, marketing channels and training in a number of areas including strategy formulation.

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