Shillong: Meghalayan Age Limited (MAL), a state government company, and the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to harness the power of design thinking and innovation.
This strategic partnership aims to create a collaborative framework between NID and MAL, Government of Meghalaya, to leverage design thinking, innovation, and design expertise for the state’s development. The MoU was signed by Dr. Vijay Kumar D, Commissioner & Secretary of the Planning, Investment Promotion, and Sustainable Development Department (PIDSD), and Chairman & Managing Director of MAL, and Praveen Nahar, Director of NID, Ahmedabad.
During the meeting, Dr. Vijay Kumar D, IAS, highlighted that through this MoU, the Government of Meghalaya focuses on three key priorities: developing the Meghalaya State Design Policy Framework, establishing an Institutional Framework for the Meghalaya Design Lab, and positioning Shillong as UNESCO’s leading ‘Design City.’
The MoU also includes the implementation of design thinking and innovation workshops, facilitation of exposure visits for Meghalaya’s stakeholders, artisans, and craftsmen from the handicraft and handloom sectors to NID and other craft and design institutes in Gujarat. Additionally, it aims to develop clusters in Meghalaya related to bamboo handicrafts, depending on the availability of NID’s faculty resources, time, and other institutional priorities.
The MoU is set for a period of three years, marking a significant step towards establishing Meghalaya as a hub for design-led development.
