CM Conrad Sangma Inaugurates Textile Unit in Ri-Bhoi Under CM Elevate
Synopsis
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurated DA-I-HI TEXTILE in Sohnidan Village, Ri-Bhoi District, on November 7, 2026. Funded under the state's CM Elevate scheme with looms and a weather-proof workspace, the unit employs 15 people and is led by entrepreneur Preciously Shadap.
Key Takeaways
DA-I-HI TEXTILE was inaugurated by Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma in Sohnidan Village, Ri-Bhoi District on November 7, 2026 .
The unit was funded under CM Elevate , the Meghalaya government's enterprise-support scheme, providing looms and a weather-proof workspace.
The enterprise currently employs 15 people from the local area.
It is led by Preciously Shadap , a local woman entrepreneur, making it a women-led tribal-area unit.
Sangma tagged the Union Textiles Ministry and Minister Giriraj Singh , signalling intent to align the initiative with central handloom support programmes.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma travelled to Sohnidan Village in Ri-Bhoi District on Saturday, November 7, 2026, to inaugurate DA-I-HI TEXTILE — a state-funded weaving enterprise that now puts 15 local residents to work in one of the state's quieter rural constituencies.
A loom, a roof, and 15 livelihoods in Mawhati
The unit, located under Mawhati Constituency, was financed through CM Elevate — the Meghalaya government's enterprise-support scheme that provides funding for basic infrastructure and equipment to local businesses. For DA-I-HI TEXTILE, that translated into looms and a weather-proof workspace: modest inputs, but the kind that convert a skill into a sustaining trade in a region where formal employment options are limited.
Sangma offered his best wishes to Kong Preciously Shadap and her team, calling out the entrepreneur by name. The honorific 'Kong' — a respectful address for women in Khasi culture — signals that this is a women-led unit, fitting a broader pattern across India's Northeast where handloom micro-enterprises have become a primary vehicle for rural women's economic participation.
State scheme, central ambitions — why the Ministry tag matters
Sangma's post tagged Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, the Department of Textiles, and Jayant Chaudhary — a pointed signal that Meghalaya's grassroots textile push is meant to be seen by New Delhi. Northeast handloom units frequently seek integration with central marketing and raw-material support programmes, and a direct tag from a sitting Chief Minister on inauguration day is a public nudge for that alignment.
The broader pattern is well established: state governments across the region have combined livelihood scheme funding with equipment support, targeting women-led units in tribal areas, as a cost-effective way to generate rural employment without large industrial investment. DA-I-HI TEXTILE is a textbook instance of that model — small footprint, local ownership, and an immediate employment count the Chief Minister was happy to put on record.
Fifteen jobs may not register on a national dashboard, but in Sohnidan Village, they represent a payroll that did not exist before the looms arrived. That is the unit of change CM Elevate is designed to multiply.
Point of View
Sangma is visibly working both lanes: state-funded delivery and central-scheme integration, a dual-track approach common to Northeast chief ministers navigating limited own-revenue bases. The women-led character of the unit fits a national policy preference that increasingly ties northeast development funding to gender-inclusive outcomes. If units like this begin feeding into central handloom marketing channels, the model's replicability improves significantly.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DA-I-HI TEXTILE in Meghalaya?
DA-I-HI TEXTILE is a newly inaugurated handloom and textile enterprise in Sohnidan Village, Mawhati Constituency, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya. It was set up with funding under the state's CM Elevate scheme, which provided looms and a weather-proof workspace, and currently employs 15 local people.
What is the CM Elevate scheme in Meghalaya?
CM Elevate is a Meghalaya state government scheme that provides funding support — including infrastructure and equipment — to local enterprises, particularly in rural and tribal areas, with the goal of creating sustainable employment and supporting small businesses.
Who is Preciously Shadap?
Preciously Shadap is the local entrepreneur leading the DA-I-HI TEXTILE unit in Sohnidan Village, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma publicly acknowledged her and her team at the inauguration on November 7, 2026.
Why did Conrad Sangma tag the Union Textiles Ministry in his post?
By tagging Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh and the Department of Textiles, Sangma signalled the state's interest in aligning its grassroots textile initiatives with central government schemes that offer marketing support and raw-material assistance to handloom enterprises.
Where is Mawhati Constituency located?
Mawhati Constituency falls within Ri-Bhoi District in Meghalaya, in India's Northeast. Sohnidan Village, where DA-I-HI TEXTILE is based, is located in this constituency.
