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GREATER IMPHAL JEWELLERY CLUSTER

Interactive Design StudyCluster Level ReportDCS MSME Scheme Band Two | 2011Submitted by: Arpit Agarwal

Interactive Design Study | Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster | 2011 | Arpit AgarwalInaguration of DCS MSME office in Guwahati, Assam

Interactive Design Study | Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster | 2011 | Arpit Agarwal

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Design Clinic Scheme for Design Expertise to MSMEs, a unique and ambitious design intervention scheme for the country’s large micro, small and medium scale enterprises, is an initiative of Ministry of MSME, Government of India has been launched under National Manufacturing Competitiveness programme. The scheme is being designed keeping in mind the objective of design awareness, design interventions and competitiveness improvement for largest group of industrial sectors, Micro, small and medium enterprises of the country which contributes to approximately 45% of total industrial production and 40% exports. They are major contributors to the GDP growth, accounting to about 8%. They are also the largest employers after agriculture, employing an estimated 41 million people. The main objective of the Design Clinic Scheme is to bring MS&ME sector and design expertise into a common platform and to provide expert advice and solutions on real time design problems, resulting in continuous improvement and value addition for existing products. This model brings design exposure to the door step of industry clusters for design awareness, improvement, evaluation, analysis and design related intervention. Design clinic scheme will assist industrial clusters to open a channel for design information inflow for creative, innovative and futuristic approach towards the product, process, operations, manufacturing and business

design. The scheme will help generate insight for opportunity identification and design intervention for competitive and breakthrough solutions for MSMEs.

The total scheme budget will be Rs. 73.58 crores, out of which Rs. 49.08 crores will be GoI assistance and the balance amount will be contributed by the beneficiary MSMEs. The scheme provides great opportunity to the large sector of MSME (Associations and Units) as well as Indian design fraternity – the design consulting firms, independent designers, various design institutes of the country and also the design students to engage them to assist the country’s large MSME sector move up the value chain through increasing the value and competitiveness of their products and services.

The scheme targets to reach out to about 200 MSME clusters over the next two and half years. This will be achieved through organization of about 200 design sensitization seminars, 200 Design Clinic Workshops and 400 design projects including 100 student design projects (final year thesis projects). National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad will assist the Ministry of MSME, Government of India, as a nodal agency for implementing the scheme. As part of the scheme a Design Clinic Centre and its regional centres are being set up to

About

The Design Clinic Scheme

Inaguration of DCS MSME office in Guwahati, Assam


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reach out to all parts of the country. For easy percolation of design thinking and philosophy and maximum benefit for MSME units the Design Clinic Scheme is divided at 3 broader levels.

These activities are helpful in smooth transition in to several levels of design intervention in industrial and business activities of MSMEs.

1. Design Sensitisation Seminar2. Design Awareness programme a. Need Assessment Survey b. Design Clinic Workshop3. Design Projects


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The design awareness programme, DAP, is focused to develop a holistic map of MSME clusters and units by exploring through industrial functions and activities. The design expert/s will generate design information about products, market scenario, technology, communication, research & development, and various industrial functions along with human factor study for ergonomics, safety, convenience, learning and skill up gradation through design research. Also the programme will provide design remedies for identified opportunities through design clinic workshop. The workshop will help participants to understand the holistic scenario of cluster and benefit them with the support of design expert/s, for design intervention in opportunity areas explored during the programme.

The activities of design awareness programme are targeted around following areas of design information collection and remedial solutions.Design Expert will visit the identified/selected MSME units located in cluster region and interact with them to develop a design understanding of cluster. During the interaction design will provide inputs to MSMEs about product improvements, best practices and creative problem solving approach based on contextual scenario. In the process s/he will identify underlying opportunities with the help of explorative design research of clusters and

participating units.

This activity is an intensive design research for understanding the present scenario and opportunities for the design intervention. Also it will help improve MSME through Interactive learning, guidance and training during the visit.This activity will be a detailed research thorough visits and interaction with people within the MSME work environment. It will also help designer to generate information about the cluster units, their products, manufacturing processes, market scenario followed by identifying opportunity areas for design interventions. The research would be taken up by design expert/s for generation of design insights through various processes of exploration, interaction and data collection. Design expert/s will take part in developing macro perspective by studying cluster scenario and micro point of view by exploring through MSME units operations. As an outcome of interactive design research, expert/s will identify opportunity areas at cluster as well as units level for design interventions and design project/s in the future course of design clinic scheme The research methodology for design study survey will include activities through observation, interaction, photography, interviews and qualitative/quantitative design data collection. The survey will help in developing detailed map of cluster and units

Introduction

Design Awareness Program

Design Sensitisation Seminar held in Malon, Imphal


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for identification of patterns and exploring opportunity areas for design intervention at various levels of product and human interactions.

Design Sensitisation Seminar held in Malon, Imphal

Chief Guest at Design Sensitisation Seminar


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The National Institute of Design (NID) is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. The Business Week, USA has listed NID as one of the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. NID is recognised by the Dept. of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) under Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organisation.

NID has been a pioneer in industrial design education after Bauhaus and Ulm in Germany and is known for its pursuit of design excellence to make Designed in India, Made for the World a reality. NID’s graduates have made a mark in key sectors of commerce, industry and social development by taking role of catalysts and through thought leadership.

About

National Institute of Design

Chief Guest at Design Sensitisation Seminar


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With an aim to undertake training, research and consultancy activities in small and micro enterprises focusing on entrepreneurship development, the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) was established in the year 1993 in Guwahati by the erstwhile Ministry of Industry (now the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), Government of India as an autonomous national institute. The institute began operating from April 1994 with the North East Council (NEC), Governments of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and SIDBI as its other stakeholders.

The policy direction and guidance to the institute is provided by its Board of Management whose Chairman is the Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The Governing Council of the institute is headed by Chairman, NEC and the Executive Committee is headed by the Secretary, Ministry of MSME, Government of India.

The institute is located at Lalmati, Basistha Chariali, 37 NH bypass at a distance of 5 kms from the Dispur Capital complex, 10 kms from the nearest Railway Station and 30 kms from the LGB Airport.

About

Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship


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GEOGRAPHY:Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Myanmar to the east.

The state lies at latitude of 23°83’N – 25°68’N and longitude of 93°03’E – 94°78’E. The total area covered by the state is 22,347 km². The capital lies in an oval-shaped valley of approximately 700 square miles (2,000 km2) surrounded by blue mountains and is at an elevation of 790 metres above the sea level.[3] The slope of the valley is from north to south. The presence of the mountain ranges not only prevents the cold winds from the north from reaching the valley but also acts as a barrier to the cyclonic storms originating from the Bay of Bengal.

VEGETATION:The natural vegetation occupies an area of about 14,365 km² which is nearly 64% of the total geographical area of the state. The vegetation consists of a large variety of plants ranging from short and tall grasses, reeds and bamboos to trees of various species.

Teak, pine, oak, uningthou, leihao, bamboo, cane, etc. are important forest resources growing in plenty. In addition, rubber, tea,

coffee, orange, and cardamom are grown in hill areas. Rice is a staple food for Manipuris. Rice and cash crops make up the main vegetation cover in the valley.

CLIMATE:The climate of Manipur is largely influenced by the topography of this hilly region which defines the geography of Manipur. Lying 790 meters above sea level, Manipur is wedged between hills on all sides. This northeastern corner of India enjoys a generally amiable climate, though the winters can be a little chilly. The maximum temperature in the summer months is 32 degree C. In winter the temperature often falls below zero, bringing frost. Snow sometimes falls in some hilly regions due to the Western Disturbance. The coldest month is January, and the warmest July. The ideal time for tourism in the state, in terms of climate, is from October to February, when the weather remains bright and sunny without the sun being too hot.

POPULATON:Manipur has a population of around 3,00,000. Of this total, around 59% live in the valley and the remaining 41% in the hilly region. The hills are inhabited mainly by the Nagas, Kukis (Chin-Mizos) and smaller tribal communities and the valley mainly by the Meteis (Majority), Pangal (Muslims), and “Bamons (Brahmans)” who are

About

Manipur and Imphal


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literally non-Meiteis). Some Naga and Kuki settlements are also found in the valley region. Racially, Manipuri people are far more similar to Southeast Asians than to mainland Indians.

LANGUAGE:Meiteilon the official language of Manipur, has a long history. It is the main language of communication among all different tribes and people inhabiting Manipur. English is also slowly gaining ground as a common language of communication. Hindi is also in use by the migrants from the north India. Meitei has been recognized as the Manipuri language by the Indian Union and has been included in the list of scheduled languages (included in the 8th schedule by the 71st amendment of the constitution in 1992).

TRANSPORTATION:Tulihal Airport, the airport of Imphal, connects the state capital with Delhi, Kolkata and Guwahati. National Highway NH-39 links Manipur with the rest of the country through the railway stations at Dimapur in Nagaland at a distance of 215 km (134 mi) from Imphal. National Highway 53 (India) connects Manipur with another railway station at Silchar in Assam, which is 269 km (167 mi) away from Imphal. The road network of Manipur, with a length of 7,170 km (4,460 mi) connects all the important towns and distant villages.

IMPHAL:In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Kangla Fort used to be the home of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force and on November 2004 it was handed over to state of Manipur by Prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Another place of historical interest is the Polo Ground which is the oldest existing polo ground in the world. Near the Polo Ground is the Manipur State Museum, which has a collection of old artifacts and pictures depicting the history of Manipur. ‘Ima Keithel’ at Khwairamband Bazar is the only market in the world where, as the name suggests, all the stalls are run by women.

GEOGRAPHY:Imphal is the capital of Manipur, located at 24.82°N 93.95°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 786 metres (2578 feet). It is located in the extreme east of India.The Imphal Valley is drained by several small rivers originating from the hills surrounding it. These include the Imphal, Iril, Sekmai, Thoubal, and Khuga rivers. One of the important place is Wangkhei, where one can see the Temple of Govinda Jee with nature’s beauty and also Wangkhei locality is famous for Handloom Products and Hand Made Products.Imphal has a sub-tropical climate, specifically a humid subtropical climate, with cool, dry winters, a warm summer and a moderate


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monsoon season. July is the hottest month with temperatures averaging around 25oC (78oF), while January is the coldest with average lows near 4oC (40oF). The city gets about 1320 mm (52 inches) of rain with June being the wettest month.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:Shree Govindajee TempleThis place was considered to be the highest place for any cultural activity during the times of the Maharajas. Located at a place near the Royal palace of past Maharajas, it has two domes and a raise congregation hall to keep the sacred deities in their place, aloof and high.

War CemeteriesThe cemeteries are the seats of remembrance for the British and Indian soldiers who fought and died in the Second World War.

Women’s market or Ima Keithel Cacophony, bargain of products and a spread of a beautiful and colourful cloth is what you would most notice when you visit this market place. But, this is the charm of the place, if a person wants to know how the trade goes in Manipur, this is the first place to buy. The bazar consist of two main sections -one where the vegetables, fruits and necessary items are sold and the other where the handloom products of the state is sold. The peculiarity of the market

is that around 3000 ‘Imas’ or mothers run the stalls.

Manipur Zoological GardensThe Brow Antlered deer, which is a rare species, can be seen in the Manipur Zoological Gardens. Located at a distance of 6 km from the capital, the zoo is very modest to the core with its surrounding, a large expanse of open grounds.

Manipur State MuseumThe museum, which is the representation of the tangible information of history, shows a display of the tribal heritage and the collection of the artifacts of the former Ningthourels of Manipur. Costumes of the common people and warriors, arms and weapons of the varied communities and relics and historical documents can be seen here. The priceless artifacts, documents and cultural heritage of a mentioned civilization can be first accessed through a Museum.

DEMOGRAPHICS:As of 2001 India census, Imphal West had a population of 439,532. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Imphal has an average literacy rate of 79%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 74%. In Imphal, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.


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Since time immemorial, jewellery items made of gold have had great importance in the princely state of Manipur and the state has been a major producer of both gold and non-gold based jewellery.

Jewellery had been a symbol of social status among kings, queens, royal attendants and even the common masses. Inherently the people of Manipur have had a thirst for gold jewellery.The Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster is one such cluster which has gained much significance in this regard. The cluster is located in the district of East and West Imphal, which is 3 kms away from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur. Comprising of two pockets i.e. Malom and Kanglambam which are spread within a radius of 5 kms. Both the villages have artisans who are highly skilled in producing traditional Manipuri jewellery.

There are around 260 households in the cluster out of which only 170 household units are engaged in the Jewellery activities. Total number of artisans are 500, i.e. 348 (68 percent) are male and 160 are female (32 percent) in the cluster.

About

Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster


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The product range generally consists ofTraditional Manipuri Bridal Jewellery alongwithFinger RingEar RingChainNecklaceBraceletBangles

The traditional ornaments produced in the cluster bear designs which are intricately handcrafted and are exclusive to the state. The designs of these jewelleries have retained ancient touch and finds mention in the Hindu epic Mahabharata where Arjuna was gifted with jewelleries by Priyambada (Princess of Manipur) when they were married.

Within the cluster there are other units which make modern ornaments from an alloy (mixture of copper and brass).

Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster

Products

Imitation jewellery


12A Manipuri Bride with traditional manipuri jewellery


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Nari: For adornment & to hold heavy earrings

Jhapa: Maangtikka

Napapachap

Pambom Phabi : ArmletKhutsa

Kurak: Literally meaning Butterfly, head piece worn in pair or 4 pieces Samjhi Nam: Headgear to be worn on bride’s bun


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Marayi

Sandrayambi

Heibi Mapal


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Heibi Mapal

Popchaubi

Ngangoi Pareng Tractor


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Greater Imphal Jewellery Making Process


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Raw material: Copper-Bronze Alloy in form of wires and sheets

Raw material: Cut Stones &Low grade American Diamonds

Raw materials, tools & equipments


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Raw material:Flux: Used for soldering

Raw material:Sulphuric Acid

Various Tools

Various Tools

Hammer

Wire Drawer

FilePlierTweezer


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Various Tools

Various Tools

Doming Block

For drawing wire

Blower

Sand paper

Ring Sizer

Working platformKerosene Lamp

Pin Tong with Handle (Graver Chuck)


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Jewellery MAKING PROCESS


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The Copper-Broze alloy sheet is cut and beaten by a hammer into a required shape

The jewellery piece is made into the desired shape and then soldered to a wire with fire and flux which acts as a joining agent.

After the soldering the stone is set and then dipped into the sulphuric acid.After this stage the jewellery is taken by the trader for plastic gold plating which is done in Mumbai.

Final products


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Unit One:Artisan: Shri Haisnam ManiharAge: 44 yearsHave been working for last 21 years Products: Imitation jewellery and few Manipuri traditional jewellery pieces.Working Hours: 8-10 hrs a day

Unit Two:Artisan: Shri H. ImbonchaAge: 39 yearsHave been working for last 10 yearsProducts: Gold Jewellery and artificial/ imitation jewellery.Working Hours: 8-10 hrs a day

Pocket A

Malom, Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster

Units Visited:

The Malom Pocket of Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster is located near the city Airport of Imphal. The artisans are basically engaged in making artificial/ imitation plastic gold plated jewellery for the local market. The designs are inspired randomly with inspirations from local fruit seeds, insects etc. The products are mainly taken from catalogue available in the market or given to the artisans by the traders. The order is placed by the traders who buy the jewellery from the artisans and sell it in the local market and at times they also sell it in other parts of Manipur, a few citites of Assam etc. The traders buy the jewellery from the artisans at the raw form and send it to Mumbai for plating in bulk. It turns out to be cost effective. As per requirements artisans make traditional jewellery, but its not the basic form of livelihood for them. There is no particular sales figure, number totally depends on type and quality of jewellery manufactured. The raw material is bought from the local market called Keysampat Junction. Mostly artisans are given the raw material i.e. cut stones and artificial diamonds by the traders. These stones and ADs are bought by the traders from Kolkata, Delhi in bulk. The products are sold by the retailers comprising of Marwari, Manipuri and other merchants in the local market.


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Unit Three:Artisan: Ms. PiyariAge: 38 yearsHave been working for last 8 yearsProducts: Gold plated traditional jewellery and artificial jewellery Working Hours: 6-8 hrs a day

Unit Four: Artisan: Ms. N. ManjuAge: 40 yearsHave been working for last 20 yearsHer brothers Deben (36 years) and Mangi (28 years) also help her with her work.Products: Gold plated traditional jewellery and artificial jewelleryWorking Hours: 6-8 hrs a day

Unit Five:Artisan: Ms. ManglembiAge: 35 yearsHave been working for last 12 yearsProducts: Gold plated traditional jewellery and artificial jewelleryWorking Hours: 6-8 hrs a day

Unit Six:Artisan: Mrs. S LekhamAge: 38 yearsHave been working for last 20 yearsIs helped by her husband Mr. Basant (45 Years)Have been working for last 20 yearsProducts: Gold plated traditional jewellery and artificial jewellery


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Pocket B

Kanglabam, Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster

Unit Seven:Artisan: Mr. T DedamaniAge: 56 yearsHave been working for last 40 yearsIs supported by his wife Ms. Paakpi (47 years)who has been working for last 15 yearsProducts: Basically gold plated traditional jewellery and imitation jewellery in off seasonWorking Hours: 8-10 hrs a day

Units Visited:

The Kanglabam Leikai Pocket of Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster is located closer to the main city of Imphal. This jewellery pocket basically deals in manufacturing of traditional Manipuri jewellery which includes Bridal Jewellery for Manipuri weddings. The busy season for bridal jewellery is from the month of October to April/May. During off season they make imitation/ artificial jewellery as required by the local traders. Most of the family members of different generations are engaged in jewellery making. Most of the family is dependent on this occupation for their livelihood. The bridal jewellery is sold or bought by the artists who dress-up the bride. In turn this bridal wear is used by the bride on rental basis; returned after the wedding to the dress-up artist. The bridal jewellery is not gold plated, and the natural copper-bronze color is retained which is achieved by dipping the jewellery in solution of Sulphuric Acid. When the jewellery is blackened due to use and moisture, its again dipped in sulphuric acid to regain the natural color. The bridal set fetch the artisans approximately Rs. 15500 - Rs. 25000 depending on the quality and the number of pieces in the set. Each family can sell around 3-4 bridal set per month during peak season. The raw material is bought from the local market called Keysampat Junction.


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Unit Eight:Mr. Rupa ChadraAge: 51 yearsHave been working for last 36 yearsSupported by Ms. Kiran Bala (41 years)who have been working for last 2-3 yearsProducts: Basically gold plated traditional jewellery and imitation jewellery in off seasonWorking Hours: 8-10 hrs a day

Unit Nine:Artisan: Mr. T. GopalAge: 64 yearsHave been working for last 40 yearsIs supported by Ms. Sashi Bina (37 years)who have been working for last 7 yearsProducts: Basically gold plated traditional jewellery and imitation jewellery in off seasonWorking Hours: 8-10 hrs a day


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UNIT TYPE ONE

ARTISAN

TRADER

TRADER

Places order to the artisans

RETAILER

Trader takes theorder from the retailer or the market demand

RAW MATERIAL RAW MATERIAL

Artisan buysthe raw material directly from the local market

Artisan give thejewellery to thetrader for plasticgold plating

RETAILER

Trader sells thegold plated products to the retailers inthe local market

Trader provides the raw materials to the artisanbased on the order


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UNIT TYPE TWO

ARTISAN

DRESSUP ARTIST

Places order to the artisans

BRIDE

Dressup Artisttakes order fromthe bride

RAW MATERIAL

Artisan buysthe raw material directly from the local market

The dressup artist dresses up the bridefor the wedding

The jewellery is returned tothe dress upartist afterthe wedding

DRESSUP ARTIST

BRIDE

The artisan sellsthe bridal jewelleryto the dressupArtist


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DESIGN AUDIT REPORT


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ISSUES and CONCERNS:

* The existing products consist of traditional Manipuri jewellery and imitation/artificial jewellery which are copied from catalogue available in the market or provided to them by the traders.* The products are hardly made of real gold as the artisans can’t afford it.* The products are made of alloy of copper and bronze which is not of good quality.* Some pieces of non-traditional jewellery made by the artisans are inspired randomly, size of the stones and shapes determine the design of a new piece of jewellery. * The existing products are either plastic gold plated or dipped in Sulphuric Acid.* Some of the existing traditional jewellery pieces are bulky and only used on occasions such as marriages and festivals.* The finishing in the products is not up to the mark, and quality vary as per the requirements of the traders. * The bezel kind of stone setting is locally mechanized, which is decent, but hardly any other form of setting is used other than the prong setting. Even the prong setting has been copied from the products that come from Bangkok. * There is no product diversification, contemporary products made are copies or they make only make wedding jewellery.* The body anatomy is hardly considered while designing products.* Some of the raw materials are not of good quality.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* There is a good scope for redesigning of the products.* The existing traditional products can be made lighter, more contemporary and relevant, less labor intensive.* The elements from the existing traditional jewellery can be used for new product development and diversification. * New motifs inspired by local textiles and heritage can be developed. * There is hardly any surface finish, textures used by the artisans, which can be introduced. * Local craft such as bead work, textiles can be combined with the jewellery for newer products.* Instead of plating products, the products can be left in their natural form which will lead to new product.* The elements from existing traditional products can be used to introduce lifestyle products such as napkin holders, cutlery, and other nick nacks for contemporary homes leading to wider customers.* Using the traditional motifs will give the product a local identity.

a. Study of existing Product design, redesign, new product development and product diversification

Stone setting is not proper Stone setting is not proper The hooks are not symmetrical


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Random design determined by stone sizes and shapes

The product detailing is only specific to local market.Here the pin is thick which is not a standard for consumersoutside of Manipur

Sample catalogues from where products are copied

Hardly anytexture and plasticgold plating

The findingsare outdated


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Traditional jewellery which can be bulky

Bangkok designs given to the artisans by the traders to be copied


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* They do not have enough funds, time and expertise to carry out research and development on a regular basis. * The technology used are outdated and don’t have resources to introduce new technology * The quality of products is compromised due to insufficient delivery time and lack of technology which facilitates and increase speed of work without compromising on quality. OPPORTUNITIES:

* Improvisation in machinery, tooling, process through R&D activities. * A Common Facility Centre (CFC) can be set up with modern technology.* Marketing: Research in terms of consumer trends, market trends and competition in the local and international market.* Exchange of technology ideas can be initiated through CFC

b. Scope for research and development direction for future initiatives

This way of soldering can be very tiring This way of drawing wire is very exhaustive


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* There is absolutely no visual identity for the clusters as they rarely sell the products directly to the final consumers. * There is no proper documentation/ catalogue of traditional and non-traditional products made in Imphal.* Artisans have few snaps of the products made by them.* Traders and artisans against branding doing to insurgency in the area.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* The idea of having a common visual identity and branding for the cluster was well accepted. However it was felt that it should go in sync with initiatives like online selling portal, packaging design etc. * So there is a big scope in developing visual identity for the cluster units, branding and communication design to connect them to the market directly and get them more exposure. * A product catalogue is a must and also presence of products online will be of great help and reach larger audience.

c. Existing status and opportunity for visual identity, branding and communication design

Snaps of products made by the artisans


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* The tools used by the artisans are either outdated with no real modern technology available to them or not used properly. * Due to lack of technology available products are sent to metro cities for electro plating by the traders which is very time consuming.* It prevents the artisans to carry out gold plating in product customization scenario.* Even in case of bulk orders for the same products, products are made by hand, which leaves them with no time to experiment and create new designs.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* Electro plating unit can be set up in the common facilitation centre. * This will give them an opportunity to explore and even try new forms of plating; beyond plastic gold plating.* They can be introduced to ‘Lost Wax Casting Process’ which can increase speed of work by many folds especially for products which are copies from catalogues/ Nangkok jewellery.

d. Scope of technology, modernization and design collaborations

All these are handmade which can be casted

Inefficient and improper installation of the equipment


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* Due to heavy fluctuations in Gold and Silver prices, artisans can’t afford to invest in jewellery made of precious metals.* Jewellery made out of copper-bronze alloy limits scope of various stone settings and findings.* The final jewellery made in broze-copper alloy is dipped in sulphuric acid to get the final product.* Dipping of jewellery in sulphuric acid leads to weakening of the product and finally breakage.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* Industrially manufactured findings can be introduced. Findings such as earring hooks, lobster claws, locking mechanisms etc. are readily available in the metro cities.* These can be bought in bulk, and thus saving time in making these findings.

e. Scope for operations and process innovation from design perspective

Products dipped in sulphuric acid


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* The work process is really slow due to hand made nature of the process.* The tools used are outdated and old, leads to slow and time consuming production process.* The work place is not appropriate, cluttered and not organized at all.* They use old kerosene lamps for soldering/ welding which is very time consuming and unhealthy.* Kerosene lamps prevent them from working indoors especially during extreme weather conditions.* There is no proper lighting system for working in night hours.* Due to lack of electricity in the cluster the artisans work in the open.* Lack of electricity reduces the working hours. Working in candle light can be painful for the eyes.* While working in the open, there is loss of precious metals like gold and silver, which artisans don’t realize. This is caused due to blowing of winds and no proper way of preventing it.* They sit on the floor and work with improper working benches.* The tools are kept with no proper arrangement or storage.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* The new tools for buffing, soldering etc. can be introduced at common facilitation centre.* Organized work stations at CFC.* Solar lights can be introduced so that they could work in the evening hours.

f. Design Opportunity in workstation and tooling design

Work Station


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Unorganized and cluttered work place

Tools are kept in disorganized way and are outdated


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Kerosene Lamp Working in the open


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* Decrease in profit margins due to exploitation by the traders and increase in the cost of raw materials.* Customers/ Traders are not ready to pay higher prices for the products.* Fear of introduction of casting system will lead to lose of handmade nature of the products. * There is a serious competition from Bangkok made jewellery.* Also jewellery copied from catalogues etc, are available in the market at a much lower price.* Non-traditional jewellery which are copied are easily available in the market at much lower price, giving the retailers a greater profit margin.* These jewellery products are bought from Metro city such as Delhi and Mumbai at a much lower price. * No exposure to the market and interaction, as middlemen/ traders buy products from the artisans and sell it in the market.* As there is no interaction with the market, the artisans rarely have any direct consumer feedback.* The artisans don’t store sample pieces generally, so when a customer directly visit them there is not enough products to show them.* There is no distinction between products from Imphal and elsewhere.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* Product diversification using traditional techniques and motifs will give them distinctive advantage as these designs will not be manufactured elsewhere.* The can introduce new accessories which could give them a bigger market share and make up the lost market in plastic gold plated jewellery.* They could reach out to larger markets such as Guwahati and Metro city with new product developments. * They could directly sell products to the consumers through boutiques etc.

g. Details of market and competition study for design advantage and distinction

Local jewellery market | Imphal


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Interaction with a local jewellery trader

Stiff competition from Bangkok jewellery


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Readymade chains from Mumbai

Chains handcrafted in Imphal

Both chains are similarly priced but traders prefer selling Mumbai chains as they have higher margin

Bangles from Mumbai Earrings from Imphal

There is no distinction between local jewellery and jewellery from metro cities


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* Some skilled craftsman leave but very few workers are trained regularly and enrolled to keep the pace of work smoothly.* Others, semi skilled craftsmen keep changing for better pays, so dearth of craftsmen is sometimes an issue.* No new/ advance training for the artisans except a very few.* Due to lack of exposure artisans have been practicing same processes for many years.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* Master artisans could be sent to participate at National level workshops.* A common training center which could provide training on skill enhancement, quality control and product development to the artisans of Imphal.

h. Study for the need of training and skill up-gradation


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i. Description of ergonomic and environment factors in MSME Premise

Sitting on floor and working for long hours can lead to back pain and constant getting up and sitting can be tiring

Open work shed


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* There is no real concept of packaging at the cluster level.* Products are kept either in a container or wrapped in a paper.* Traders after buying the products from the artisans package them in plastic boxes.* The plastic boxes are of very low quality purchased from Mumbai/ Kolkata by local traders of Imphal.* The boxes are of inappropriate size and shape; and similar type of packaging is used for different kinds of products.* The wedding/ bridal jewellery is kept in container which leads to breakage and wear and tear of the jewellery pieces, which needs to be repaired over and over again.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* New packaging design can be introduced such as drawstring bags using traditional Imphal textiles.* These bags will give a visual and unique identity to the products made in Imphal.* New and cost effective form of packaging needs to be introduced. * If packaging is improved, it would create a good presence and will boost the business and help in competing.* Create a possibility to safely pack to avoid breakage.

j. Packaging and logistics related design opportunities

No slot to keep earrings, rings

Improper sized boxes


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Packaging for necklaces

Bridal jewellery is kept in boxes which leads to tangling of products

Jewellery kept in boxes lead to breakage and wear and tear


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OPPORTUNITIES:

* The artisans can participate in trade fairs at state, national and international level.* At cluster/ village level a small display area/showroom can be created.* Products can be displayed at art centers, museums etc. in various cities.

k. Exhibition/ Display design opportunities

ISSUES:

* There is no proper work shed for the artisans.* No inhouse display area for the products.

OPPORTUNITIES:

* A common work place for the artisans in each village or a CFC.

l. Study of infrastructure set up from design perspective

Improper work shed

Products being shownto a customer

Earrings displayed on paper


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Products being shownto a customer

OPPORTUNITIES:

* There can be development of inter-dependence between both the jewellery pockets.* A greater and better cooperation and understanding between the artisans and the traders/middlemen.* A Common Facilitation Centre will tremendously increase the scope of communication between the two pockets and thus lead to sharing of knowledge and skills. * A common place for procurement of raw material where artisans can buy material on credit basis, as its not feasible for them to buy raw material at once.

m. Scope of design intervention for inter cluster communication


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GREATER IMPHAL JEWELLERY CLUSTER

OPPORTUNITIES

Jewellery Cluster

Skilled Artisan

Participation in trade-fairs, exhibitions

at national and international level

Skill upgradation by participating invarious workshops

Direct marketlinkages

Productdiversification Product

diversification

Common Facility Centre

Quality control

Product development

Packaginginnovations

Branding &communication

Work stationdesign

ExportIntroduction of new

technology


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CONCLUSION

The visit to Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster in Manipur was a memorable experience; giving various insights into their design activities, functioning and working conditions.There was a great learning which led to discovery of many facts and figures.

With great skill sets of the local artisans and their extensive heritage of traditional jewellery, there are innumerable opportunities and scope of new developments. With right planning and implementation of proper developmental activities there is a new ray of hope lined up for these artisans.

A proper strategy development and implementation in a planned manner; can make the Imphal Jewellery Cluster a self sustained cluster. Regular skill and design based workshops to be conducted to enhance their overall skill sets and make them competitive. Formation of groups and associations can give them recognition and to be taken seriously by the traders and the middlemen. Regular participation in trade fairs, national and international exhibitions will give them exposure, so that they are updated with the present and the latest happenings. Affiliation to various organizations, craft councils and tie-ups with design experts will act as facilitator in their development.

With planned intervention, this cost sensitive and not quality sensitive cluster can be made into a Brand and help them create products of their own instead of copying them from catalogues and other brands. There are many other scope of improvement and growth as mentioned in the Design Audit Report.


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A Two-Day Design Workshop


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IntroductionWORKSHOP

After the conclusion and the submission of Need Assessment Survey Report under the Two-Band Design Clinic Scheme, a Two-Day Workshop was conducted at the Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster in Imphal.

The workshop was planned based on the problems and opportunities identified during the Need Assessment Survey. The workshop was aimed to give the artisans a few immediate on spot design solutions for identified opportunities for design intervention from the existing problems.


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List of Participants


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Design Clinic Workshop Schedule

There was a good response for the workshop and more than 15 participants registered for the workshop. As the Greater Imphal Jewellery cluster is divided into two pockets, a day workshop was conducted at each pocket.

SCHEDULE:Morning Session: * Registration* Inauguration Session* Presentation on kinds of jewellery and various terminologies* Presentation on issues based on Need Assessment Survey

Afternoon Session:* Jewellery packaging design * Introduction to Jewellery design* Demonstration of better techniques and finishing.* Feedback, Closing Session and Way Ahead

There were interactive sessions for all the participants with the project coordinator of the organizing institute, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Imphal Branch.


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Participants during the workshop


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Presentation on kinds of jewellery and various terminologies

Few slides from the presentation


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Presentation on issues based on Need Assessment Survey

Few slides from the presentation

Suggested solutionPresent working conditions

Suggested improvement



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Suggestedimprovement


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Suggested solutions

Suggested solution - Casting method

Present situation


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Introduction to packaging design

Present status of packaging design at Imphal or the traditional stores can be seen as under:

Packaging at retail shops with no branding/ write up talking about Rontholi jewellery

The present form of packaging at Imphal and also packaging at various stores is nothing special. Artisans disperse their products in a small plastic pouch with any protection or labelling. This is not safe for the transport of a product like jewellery. It may lead to breakage and damage to the product. As seen in the pictures above there is no branding or identification of the product, its maker or quality. Also the packaging currently used is not accordance with the size of the products. During the workshop artisans were shown various packaging available in the market, and how its very important to package precious jewellery properly. They were also told about the importance of presenting there products in a certain way, which helps in increasing the value of the product.

Below is one of the examples of packaging available in the market.


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During the workshop artisans were suggested packaging options which could be manufactured indigenously. The main idea was to create simple packaging design using local textiles with very little investment and easy to manufacture.

Immediate solutions to packaging (as seen above) was given to the artisans. The packaging would carry name of the cluster which will create an identity and awareness for their jewellery in the market. The idea is to develop small bags, pouches using local manipur textiles. This will help them to create an unique packaging which will reflect Manipur tradition, and customers can identify Manipur jewellery with the style of packaging.

New packaging design


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Introduction to Jewellery Design

Over the years the there has been very slight variations in the traditional designs. There the library of Imphal jewellery has been limited. As some of the traditional jewellery styles in Imphal are bulky and is not feasible to wear it on daily or more often basis, the demand for these pieces have remained confined to events like weddings etc. The new designs are either random imagination or are copied from Bangkok jewellery catalogues. Most the artisans don’t make new designed products, they generally act as manufacturers for the middlemen who give them designs from magazines, existing catalogues in the market as per the market requirement.

So it was realized during the Need Assessment Survey that it is important to introduce the artisans withnew possibilities in Imphal Jewellery and overall jewellery design.

During the workshop the artisans were given ideas on possible variations of the existing designs for them to explore and for their reference.

The craftsmen liked the ideas for new product developments which will in future add to there set of existing designs. The introduction of new products is expected to increase their customer base.


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Variations

Existing design

New product suggestions


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New design suggestions

Existing design


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Existing design New design suggestions


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earlier after the workshop

Suggested application

New design suggestions


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Snap shot of a Feedback Form


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At the end of the Need Assessment Survey and 2-Day Design Workshop many short, medium and long term interventions have been proposed for the uplifting the Imphal Jewellery Cluster.

Short Term Interventions

* Improvement in the present quality of products with better finishing, quality of raw materials and better stone setting techniques.* Variations in the existing designs and new design development to fight competition from imitation jewellery of Bangkok and elsewhere.* Manipuri inspirations/ motifs need to be used to develop new designs so as to distinguish it from other existing designs in the market.* Product Diversification such as hairpins, brooches, cuff links etc. to reach a larger audience.* Smaller and simpler products for occasions other than weddings.* As Imphal/ Manipur is not easy to reach, an online catalogue can help the cluster tremendously.

Short/ Medium Term Interventions

* Improvement in Packaging Design and Branding for the Imphal Jewellery Cluster.* Identification and continuous training of master craftsmen at various National level institutions.* Developing assembly line system to facilitate faster production process.* Tie-ups with governmental organizations, NGOs, Tourism boards etc.* A proper channel of distribution to avoid unnecessary middlemen.* Tie-ups with designers, experts and technical people from around the globe.

Medium/long Term Interventions

* Common Facilitation Center/ Institution to cater to batch/mass production, training/ development of human resource.* Material Bank at the cluster for proper distribution/ supply of raw materials and take advantage of economies of scale. * Establishing proper infrastructure support for research and development, technological facilities, funding, self help groups etc.* Design workshops can provide training to artisans along with generating continuous innovative market friendly designs.* Design projects to specifically cater towards participating and getting orders through exhibitions in Gift fairs, Delhi/urban haat etc.* Participation in National/ International level trade fairs/ exhibitions for better exposure and creating awareness. * Exchange programmes for craftsmen for technology transfer.

greater imphal jewellery cluster - dcsdesignclinicsmsme.org/design awareness programme...

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