A Panchi (dress for tribals) manufacturing unit has come up at Mohammad Bazar in Birbhum in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal inaugurated the facility which will produce dresses for the tribals.
This will be the first unit which is dedicated to the production of garments meant for tribal people in the region.
The initiative may not be at a large scale, but it is interesting since the Panchi weaving machines were installed at a cost of around Rs. 40 lakh, with the funds for the installation coming from their social development project. The initiative was undertaken by the Zilla Parishad.
Tribal youths had gotten used to wearing modern pants as a result of the increased prices and lack of availability of garments, therefore, the Birbhum administration, keeping in mind 12 per cent of the tribal population in the district, planned to produce a garment plant in Mohammad Bazar.
For the past month, three trainers from Banka district as well as a designer from Kolkata have been training the locals, and a social tribal organisation named Vorai has been entrusted with the entire production facility’s management.
The district administration will be marketing the Panchis produced at a stall called Jai Johar Museum in Bolpur.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
