Shilp Samagam Mela 2026 in Guwahati Draws 75 Artisans

The second Shilp Samagam Mela of the financial year is drawing crowds at Farm Gate, Khanapara, in Guwahati. Organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the eight-day fair opened on 21 October and runs till 28 October 2026, staying open to visitors from 11 in the morning to 9 at night.

Who is selling what

A total of 75 artisans, among them 31 women, have set up stalls with roughly 40 varieties of handloom and handicraft goods. Craftspeople from the North-Eastern states and from other parts of the country are taking part, selling straight to buyers instead of through a middle layer of traders. Daily cultural shows, including music and dance from the North-East, are being livestreamed so that the fair reaches beyond the venue.

Where it stands in the series

The scheme behind the fair

A central purpose of the mela is to push BHARAT-TULIP, which stands for the Traditional Artisans' Upliftment Livelihood Programme. The programme helps artisans of the ministry's target groups market their goods through physical outlets and through e-commerce platforms, widening the customer base beyond a single fairground and giving craftspeople a digital sales channel they would struggle to build on their own.

Three corporations, four target groups

Marketing support at the mela goes to artisans and beneficiaries attached to three national corporations run by the ministry.

• National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, or NSFDC
• National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation, known as NSKFDC
• National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation, the NBCFDC

Working to the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”, the fair is aimed at the economic empowerment of craftspeople from four groups: Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, Safai Mitras and Denotified Tribes.

A pavilion for the schemes

A dedicated ministry pavilion at the venue carries information on welfare, financial assistance and development schemes, including those run by the three corporations, with LED screens playing scheme content through the day. The idea is that a visitor who came to buy a shawl leaves knowing what credit or training support an artisan from these groups can claim, so the fair does the work of a market and of an information desk at the same time.