HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 23: WISSER Innovation Prize was launched on Wednesday for designers and innovators from the north-east region. It is a design challenge for livelihood generation for the rural artisans in the north-east region of India. This design challenge is being organised by The Hub Jorhat, Bosco Institute, and Childaid Network in collaboration with Dhriiti-The Courage Within. The Prize aims to identify product design solutions with pre-determined natural resources available in the north-east region which would enable the generation of livelihoods for rural artisans across clusters.
Notably, the innovators and designers can apply as an individual or as a team (maximum 3 member teams). In the case of individual innovators, and designers, the applicant should be from one of the 8 states of the north-east region and in the case of teams, at least one of the team members should be a resident of any of the 8 states of the north-east region. Both students and practitioners can apply their innovations, and designs for the WISSER Innovation Prize.
“4 selected innovations would be provided cash prizes and mentorship support to support them in prototype development. The selected innovations would be piloted to build a complete product value chain as a micro-enterprise cluster for rural artisans. The intent is to select design solutions with the given natural resources which have the potential to be produced by numerous micro/nano enterprises in rural areas and create livelihoods for rural artisans,” said Fr. Jerry Tom, Bosco Institute, Jorhat.
“WISSER Innovation Prize will work in the form of a product/design hackathon wherein solutions which can support local artisans earn their livelihoods are invited. We are calling for design innovation ideas from both students and practitioners (in the field of design and innovation) in two categories of products, Category 1 being bamboo and cane and Category 2 being Natural Fibres (Water Hyacinth, Kauna Grass, Shital Pati),” added Anirban Gupta, co-founder, Dhriiti – The Courage Within.
