World Trade Center (WTC) Mumbai, All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and Tisser Artisans Trust jointly organized MahaCollab, a two-day event featuring Fireside chat, keynote address, exhibition & fashion show to promote sustainability, circularity, and innovation. The event showcased sustainable design, community-driven innovation, and social impact, emphasizing the role of artisans in shaping a sustainable future.

A key highlight of the event was the inauguration of the Aarohan Skill Center to impart vocational skills and create livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities for women artisans. Ms. Dolly Thakore, a veteran Indian theatre actress and casting director graced the inauguration ceremony.

Speaking on this occasion, Ms. Roop Rashi Mahapatra, IA&AS, Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India said, “The Office of the Textile Commissioner along with Tisser Artisans Trust has partnered with Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to develop a textile resource recycling model which can be replicable by other municipal corporations in the country. Under this initiative, the Office of the Textile Commissioner will develop in-loop and out-of-loop circularity practices for bringing discarded textiles and garments back into production process. We will include traceability to track textile product across its life cycle right from fibre to garment and the point of consumption.”

During his keynote address, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries highlighted the unique textile expertise of each country. He stated, "Every country has its own specialty in textiles. For instance, India and Egypt are renowned for cotton, while Switzerland is known for its high-quality textiles. This diversity creates opportunities for cross-border collaboration through the exchange of best practices and the expansion of trade."

The event was also addressed by Mr. Adolfo Garcia Estrada, Consul General of Mexico, Mr. Martin Maier, Dean of Consuls and Consul General of Switzerland,  Ms. Katerina Vovkova, Consul General of Czech Republic,  Ms. Shirani Ariyarathne, Consul General of Sri Lanka and other dignitaries.

Headline Image  Caption: (from left to right) Ms. Rupa Naik, Executive Director, WTC Mumbai, Dr. Megha Phansalkar, Founder- Tisser Artisans Trust, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, WTC Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries (AIAI) and Ms. Dolly Thakore, Veteran Indian Theatre Actress and Casting Director (5th from left) after inaugurating the Arohan Skilling Center at WTC Mumbai

Promotional Image Caption: Ms. Dolly Thakore, Veteran Indian Theatre Actress and Casting Director (left) and Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, WTC Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries (AIAI) (right) inaugurating the Arohan Skilling Center at WTC Mumbai.