Governing Body

Former civil servant pursuing promotion of handloom with passion and commitment. has four decades’ long experience of working in the textiles sector. Including serving in the handloom weavers in the field level in Odisha (1989-94) under the visionary the then Chief Minister, Shri Biju Patnaik Later as Union Secretary, Ministry of Textiles (2014-15) under the visionary Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.

Had a brilliant academic career with excellence at state (university gold medals), national ((silver medal in Public Administration) and international levels (International Louis Pasteur award for outstanding contribution to sericulture and silk industry), studied Chemistry, Forestry, Public administration, and Economics. Carries rich experience of working in the handloom, handicraft, and sericulture industry in implementation, monitoring and policy formulation at national and state governments. Played a key role for taking handloom to the aspirational level as the Secretary, Ministry of Textiles under the visionary Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, with launching of the India Handloom Brand on the First National Handloom Day observed at Chennai on the 7th of August 2015. Set up SHRADDHA, a civil society organization in 1994, with a view to promoting handloom and allied crafts and empowerment of the primary producers, weavers/ artisans, which is being pursued vigorously since 2022.

• A career civil servant with deep passion for handloom and welfare of the weavers.
• Carries rich administrative experience in the Central and State Government(s) of Tripura and Odisha.
• Got an excellent understanding of the technical and socio economic aspects of the handloom sector at the grass root level, while working as MD, SERIFED and Director of Textiles (1989-94).
• Pursued this interest in the unorganized sector in Tripura, as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India; and as Chief Secretary, Tripura.
• Has authored number of booklets for generating awareness among the handloom weavers for increasing the earnings by adopting market oriented strategy.
• His other publications are on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India, Promotion of Sericulture in new areas for empowering tribal women and Making One plus One Eleven (Making changes Transformational),
• Teaches handloom, handicraft, fashion, ethics, corporate governance, environment conservation, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 in a number of educational institutions.

Publications PDF copy to be hosted

On Handloom

1. Bunakar bhai bhauni manank pain pade (in odiya), Sanjay K Panda 05th October 1992
2. Bunakar bhai bhauni manank pain pade (in odiya), Sanjay K Panda 01st April 1994 Utkal Diwas
3. Hastatanta Bunakar bhai bhauni manank Rojgar brudhi bishayare pade (in odiya),Sanjay K Panda 2015

On related subjects

1. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India (first published in 2008, updated 2018)
2. Promotion of Sericulture in new areas for empowering tribal women (2014)
3. Making One plus One Eleven (Making changes Transformational) (2015)

• Hailing from a traditional handloom weaver family of the famous Maniabandh-Nuapatna handloom cluster of Odisha, Shri Patra is an institution in handloom, both in theory and practice.
• Did his Diploma and Post Diploma in Handloom Technology from the premier IIHT, Varanasi, along with M Tech. in Chemical Engineering and an MBA.
• After an initial stint in Government of Odisha, joined the weavers service Centre under Development Commissioner for Hand loom and rendered outstanding service in handloom processing, weaving and designing at Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Mumbai and Bhubaneswar for nearly three decades (1992-2021).
• Recipient of Institutional Medal (1990), National Award for Tie & Dye Weaving (1993), and Award for Outstanding Achievement (2019).
• Has authored number of publication on technical aspects of hand loom in Tie & Dye technique, vegetable dyeing and Patent on enzyme-based Vat dyeing at room temperature (No.186/Kol/2015).

A technical expert of eminence in handloom sector with a four decade long rich experience.Holds a Diploma in Handloom Technology and Post graduate diploma in Project Planning and Infrastructure Management. Offered consultancy services for promotion of this age-old craft in Nepal and Bhutan under International agency

Served in the Weavers Service Centre (till his superannuation as Director WSC, Delhi in February 2015) with keen interest and dedication for promotion of hand loom with a commitment to take handloom to a new high of national eminence. Worked as consultant in the office of Development Commissioner of Handloom till 2018

Serving as a Consultant in Titan Co. Ltd (since 2018) where his contribution to innovative product designing was recognized under Khadi Parichay collection in May 2022

An authority in hand loom designing, dyeing and product diversification, his contribution in the field was acknowledged with the prestigious National Award in 1991.

A well-known face, he is highly respected by the primary producers and the industry as a whole. He is an invaluable asset to Shraddha.

• Hails from Sankroda village under Mahanga police station in Cuttack District Passed Matriculation from R. N Bidyapith, Kothapada (1970), Graduated with Mathematics (Hons.) from Ravenshaw College (1974) and Post Graduation in Statistics from Utkal University (1976).
• Joined Ministry of Statistics and Pogramme Implementation, Govt. of India; Worked in the Gujarat state in various capacities for three decades before moving to Odisha.
• Dealt with a wide range of Statistical surveys and analysis on socioeconomic conditions in rural and urban areas, estimation of poverty, literacy etc., Supervision of price statistics for calculation of Wholesale & Consumer Price Index by Govt. of India. Estimation of food crop production, surveys and surveys on Industrial growth and their asset formation, consumption, labor turnover and production etc.
• Worked as Secretary and President of leading Housing Cooperative Society at Ahmedabad for five years.

• After superannuation from Indian Statistical Service (ISS), worked as a Consultant to the Ministry for supervision of statistical surveys.

• Acting as the  Vice President of Operation Research Society of India, Odisha chapter and General Secretary of Utkal Statistics Alumni Association (USAA). Resides in the Kendriya Vihar, Bhubaneswar.

• While working in Gujarat was closely associated with promotion of handloom sarees, scarves (dupatta), processed with Bandhani (tie and dye) technique by handloom units of Jamnagar.

•  A young lady entrepreneur with an MBA in Marketing and Finance.
• Promoter of Shivani Builders Pvt Ltd, in the real estate business with a remarkable track record of delivering several projects successfully in Odisha to the satisfaction of the customers.
• As a philanthropist and as the trustee of Durga Charan Memorial Trust, she undertakes many activities for helping the people in distress in general and to the disadvantaged sections of society in particular.
• An animal lover with keen interest for care and welfare of animals.
• Pursues promotion of handloom with abiding passion for protection of the age-old tradition of the handloom industry by assisting and encouraging the weavers and artisans for bringing out handloom products with a difference to improve their marketability and thus, yielding higher earnings.

• Sincere, jovial, Information technology (IT) professional
• Obtained Master’s degree in technology of computer science.
• Working as Assistant Professor at Rajdhani Engineering College in Computer science.
• Believes in being honest and working in a team with an open mindset for gaining knowledge and experience.
• An enthusiastic youth endorses the views that