From C K Nayak

NEW DELHI, May 1: For the first time in the history of silk fabric, two world famous indigenous silks-Eri from Northeast and Chanderi from central India-were merged on Friday and unveiled as Padma Doree, creating a unique new variety.

Conceived by the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC) under the Ministry of DoNER, Padma Doree was envisioned not as a conventional brand but as a platform.
Speaking separately in the evening at the formal global launching function, Sanjay Jaju, DoNER Secretary, said that Padma Doree is distinct because it is coming from two different textiles.
"Padma Doree is not just bringing heritage, but also bringing innovation," he said.
The unveiling event was attended by film director Muzaffar Ali, among others.
"This is a smart move that brings fibre, craft, and design into shared conversation with a very wider market," Niraj Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Ministry, said addressing the preview in New Delhi.
The initiative explored how traditional textile practices could evolve through collaboration across regions, materials, and makers, with artisans remaining central to the process and sustainability embedded within it from the outset.
"Born from two traditions, Padma Doree makes its debut in New Delhi, bridging Northeast and Central India through cloth," Kumar said.
The day opened with curated exhibition walkthroughs and media interactions, offering a closer look at the material, its development, and the collaborative processes behind it. The formal unveiling gave way to an evening presentation that brought together fashion and performance, featuring Na U Bnai from Meghalaya and Yash Devle from Madhya Pradesh. The day set the tone for the larger three-day showcase, which will follow.
"The exhibition was designed not as a static display but as an evolving environment where textiles, processes, and people intersected," said NEHHDC Managing Director Mara Kocho, adding that the craft was present in process, seen, discussed, and experienced through direct engagement.
Artisans from Northeast and Madhya Pradesh were present, offering insight into the journey from Eri fibre to finished fabric and the collaborations that shaped Padma Doree. Smaller, more intimate walkthroughs hosted by the team allowed for a closer understanding of the material and its making.
Shreelakshi Choudhry, Manager, NEHHDC, said, "Padma Doree proposes a quieter and more considered approach, one that builds on existing traditions while allowing them to evolve through meaningful dialogue."
In doing so, she said, it reaffirms the idea of a contemporary Make in India luxury, rooted in craft, material integrity, and regional knowledge systems, yet legible to a global audience.
Rather than seeking external validation, Padma Doree places value on what is made within, demonstrating that luxury can be conceived, developed, and experienced wholly in India, she said.
"Padma Doree is less a singular unveiling and more the beginning of an ongoing platform, an exploration of fabric, people, and place, and of what becomes possible when India's textile traditions are brought into conversation with one another," she further stated.
Eri silk-well known as "peace silk" or "Ahimsa silk"-is a sustainable, durable and matte-finished textile produced from Philosamia ricini silkworms, primarily in the Northeast, including Meghalaya. Chanderi silk is a traditional, lightweight handwoven fabric from Madhya Pradesh, known for its glossy transparency, sheer texture, and blend of silk and cotton with modern designs.
Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Union President Ursula von der Leyen draped Eri silk stoles during the landmark India-EU FTA deal. Actress Manisha Koirala was recently spotted at a public event wearing an ethnic three-piece co-ord set crafted in muted beige Chanderi silk.
Both silks, when combined, will offer warmth in winter and coolness in summer.