Assam, a state with a rich culture and having the highest number of handlooms in India has its own uniqueness in the Silk weaving tradition. In Assam, Silk weaving is a practice across the geography considering two factors a) self-consumption b) commercial sales, and as a traditional household Assamese woman the second factor is considered as a major activity performed for enhancing the income model and bringing sustainability in the living standards.

As silk weaving is the most prominent livelihood practice across the state, there are very limited resources available in terms of technology which forces the women to follow and practice the traditional form of activity in the weaving process, causing them to slow down for producing the end product. Looking at the problematic factor Satish Choudhury, an innovator cum entrepreneur hailing from the Kamrup rural district of Assam, saw the potential and requirement of an efficient technology solution to support the women weaver section for their weaving practices, and with the thought process and aim, Satish Choudhury crafted out a portable Handloom and Eri Spinning Machine for the weaving practitioners.

Enterprise Name

Saraswati Hasta Tat Shilpa

In the year 2014, he was able to develop his first Eri spinning machine with a paddle mechanism (manual). To create awareness and bring change to the weaving practice, he partnered with a grassroots organization Grameen Sahara, Chaygaon, Assam, and conjointly promoted the Eri spinning machine among the various weaving units and clusters present across the state of Assam. His journey continued till 2018 when he developed his first on-grid model of the Eri Reeling machine with the technical specification and upgradation with a speed control system integration for reaching up to a maximum speed of 2500rpm creating productivity of 25- 30gm/hr and with a hybrid energy system of Solar integration. In 2022, a major up-gradation was made on the machine, changing from an on-grid model to an off-grid model. Satish Choudhury with the partnership support from Grameen Sahara and AIC SELCO  Foundation, the model was implemented and tested on the ground by conducting a demonstration program for the weaver’s community present across different geographic locations.

So far about 1000 (one thousand) machines have been sold in different states of the Northeast. A variety of devices with only one thread can be found in the market but several items are not yet available in the market with the help of the content. The specialty of this content comprises of the following features.

• Light weight

• Measures to control speed for new users

• Provision of light for convenience in getting yarn at night or less later.

• There is a battery system that can run for a maximum of 8 hours without any disposal.

• Parts are available locally.