Basic Principle

Vision Image

Our Vision

  • Empowerment of artisans: To create a sustainable future for handloom weavers and artisans, increasing their earnings and livelihood.
  • Promotion of traditional crafts: To revive, preserve, and promote the rich cultural heritage of handloom and craft sectors in Odisha.
  • Sustainable development: To contribute to holistic, sustainable development through environmental protection, health, education, and women empowerment programs.
  • Social upliftment: To create a paradigm shift in societal development by improving the quality of life of marginalized communities, especially women, children, and aged persons.

    • Our Mission

  • Strengthen the craft sector: To enhance the skills and earnings of handloom weavers and artisans by providing opportunities for growth and exposure.
  • Holistic development initiatives: To undertake diverse programs related to social health, education, and nutrition for children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
  • Empowerment of women: To promote gender equality by empowering women through legal education, addressing social evils, and improving livelihoods.
  • Environmental stewardship: To contribute to environmental conservation by promoting indigenous plantation, soil and water conservation, and environmental education.
  • Inclusive support for communities: To ensure the health and well-being of vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, and those with disabilities through health camps and social health programs.

    • Mission Image
    who we are

    Founding Principles

    • The organization draws its strength from the rich, decades-long experience of its core team members in high echelons of Government and in public service, along with the commitment to give back to Society and deep passion for the promotion of the craft and craftsmen.
    • The organization believes in working with honesty and sincerity, maintaining the highest standards of independence, committed to ethics and professional integrity.
    • The organization envisages working with the craft persons at the grass root level, developing appropriate strategy, and creating an island of excellence, which can be replicated with location-specific modifications for scaling up the development of the craft sector on a sustainable basis.
    • The organization looks forward to working with government, private, and like-minded organizations for maximizing social goods and sharing knowledge.

    Genesis of SHRADDHA

    The Society for Development of Human Resources through Handloom and Allied Activities.

    (SHRADDHA) was registered as per provision of the Societies Registration Act of 1860, vide no cert no 19575/7 of 1994-95 dated 28th April 1994. The society was started with 14 likeminded persons under the passion, missionary zeal, and far sight of its founder, Shri Sanjay Kumar Panda on the eve of his completing five years long close association with the handloom and weavers of Odisha while working as the Managing Director, Odisha Tassar and Silk Cooperative Society and Director of Textiles. The society pursued its activities with voluntary donations and time given by its members and organized health camps and legal education camps for the benefit of the weavers. The activities remained on a low key in the absence of its founder, Shri Panda who left Odisha for serving in Tripura state in the northeastern region.

    Shri Panda continued his keen interest in the unorganized sector including the promotion of handloom in his subsequent postings as the Secretary of Handloom, Handicraft, and Sericulture, Tripura; Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in the Government of India; and Chief Secretary Tripura. As the Secretary, the Ministry of Textiles under the visionary Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, played a key role in redesigning the strategy for the promotion of handloom and taking handloom to the aspirational level with the launching of the India Handloom Brand by Hon’ble Prime Minister on the First National Handloom Day observed at Chennai on the 7th of August 2015. Dr. Panda has written several booklets with a view to increasing the earnings of the handloom weavers, which according to him is the key to revival and continuation of this great Indian tradition. After superannuation from service, he worked as the Chairman of the Executive Committee, of Tripura Skill Development Authority (2016-18), and finally returned to Odisha in April 2018. Activities of SHRADDHA were rejuvenated in 2018, with the single-minded pursuit of increasing the earning of the weavers to a respectable level for making the occupation attractive to the younger generation.

    However, an outbreak of Covid 19 had an adverse impact on the handloom industry and the plight of the weavers worsened due to social distancing and restrictions on festivals, marriage, and social events. As the Covid position improved, reviving activities of SHRADDHA was attempted earnestly.

    The Memorandum of Understanding and Byelaws of the society were amended keeping it in conformity with the emerging requirements like Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)2030. These were formally approved by the Registrar General of Odisha vide communication Regn. wing no 720210200206/2022 dated 16.03.2022. The Society had got its Permanent Account Number (PAN) AACAS4415Q dated 28.04.1994. A current account of the Society, to be operated as per the provisions of the Byelaws, was opened in the State Bank of India with account no Ac no 00000040987597141 IFSC code SBIN0010251. It has its registered office at Sidheswar Sahi, Cuttack City, Cuttack District, Odisha PIN: 753008 and a branch office at Surendra Patna Sahi, AT/P.O- Nuapatna, P.S Tigiria, Cuttack District, Odisha PIN: 754035.