Titan, Tribal Health Initiative set up Porgai craft centre

With the aim of developing self-sufficiency among women artisans from the Lambadi tribe, Titan Company has started Porgai Artisan Association Centre at Sittlingi Valley of Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu.
The tribe is practicing the traditional Lambadi hand embroidery. The company's support to the group extends to three years of holistic partnering in a customised approach based on the group's requirements.
The interventions include design and product development, skill development, training of new artisans, support for marketing and online retailing, participation in fairs and exhibitions.
Titan has also helped in setting up of a facility where women can work, train, exhibit and store their products, a company release said.

"At Titan, we believe it is important to encourage the growth of Indian arts and crafts. The handicrafts industry reflects the social, cultural and economic life of the country and it is necessary for such small-scale industry to develop and grow," the company's Managing Director Bhaskar Bhat said.
"We are proud to support the Porgai Artisan Association for the revival of this unique tradition of embroidery that would otherwise have been lost. We are delighted to celebrate these women who are now able to renew those practices," he added.

The Lambadis migrated from North India several hundred years ago. 'Porgai' means pride in their dialect.

Lalitha Regi of Tribal Health Initiative (THI) helped women's groups revive their traditional craft of Lambadi embroidery.
"...Titan's support for this community has provided those women with a sense of confidence through the practice of their traditional craft," Regi said.