MANITEX 2026 ends with Rs 1 crore sales; IDP weavers ran 11 stalls

The Manipur International Textiles Expo (MANITEX) 2026 closed in Imphal on Sunday, November 9, with textiles and garments worth around Rs 1 crore sold and about 30,000 visitors over five days, according to figures shared at the closing function.

The expo was held at Urban Haat, Nilakuthi, from November 5, organised by the Directorate of Handloom and Textiles under the state's Department of Textiles, Commerce and Industries. Memoranda of understanding were signed with several international firms and three Indian companies during the event, the Sangai Express reported.

Stalls for displaced weavers

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the conflict that began in May 2023 ran 11 stalls at the expo. The Manipur Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited will buy all the items the displaced artisans could not sell, the report said.

The corporation's chairman, MLA Kh Ibomcha, congratulated the organisers for holding the expo despite several challenges and said the government was working to set up a separate department for handloom and handicrafts.

Home Minister on resettlement

Speaking at the closing, Home Minister Govindas Konthoujam said resettling the displaced was not in itself a big problem, but the government had a nagging fear that people could face fresh trauma and threats to their lives if violence broke out again after they returned home.

He said the government was working to resettle IDPs at the earliest and ensure their security now that violence had subsided to some extent, and appealed to displaced families to bear the hardship a little longer. He added that funds due to IDPs were being released ahead of the Ningol Chakkouba festival. The state had earlier announced a festive transfer to displaced families through direct benefit transfer.

Push for local products

Govindas said the handloom and handicraft sector contributes significantly to Manipur's economy and that the government was paying special attention to it. He urged people to buy local handloom and handicraft products to support the state's weavers and artisans.