STORY CREDITS
Writer: Vasudha Chatterjee
Photo: IITGN Photos
NEEV, the community outreach program of IIT Gandhinagar, organised a “Navaratri Mahila Haat” wherein local women from Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad put up various stalls of traditional festive wear, handicrafts, apparel, jewelry, cosmetics, etc on Thursday, September 26, 2024 at the IITGN campus. The event, supported by Milacron India Pvt Ltd, was inaugurated by Smt Ritabel Patel, MLA Gandhinagar North Assembly, and Smt Harshaba Dhadhal, Adhyaksh Mahila Wing Gandhinagar.
“Wherever you get a platform, put your household work aside, and participate wholeheartedly. Do this for yourself” remarked Smt Patel. Abhilasha Hazarika, an alumna and Program Assistant at the Media and Communications Office, IIT Gandhinagar, reflected that as a student, she would earnestly wait for this haat every year. However, this was the first time that she witnessed it on such a grand scale. Astonished at the plethora of objects put on sale, students thronged the venue in large numbers, taking multiple rounds to complete their Navaratri shopping. The Haat also drew significant attention from faculty, staff and the wider IIT Gandhinagar community, underlining its importance in fostering a community spirit within the campus.
Promoting local businesses lies at the heart of Neev’s core values. To acknowledge the efforts of those involved, certificates of appreciation were handed out to all the women entrepreneurs. Niti Dave, a business owner from Ahmedabad, expressed her gratitude, remarking: “I have done many such exhibitions but the experience over here was unique. I felt the management and the environment here was the best. I also want to improve my marketing skills so I will definitely try and join NEEV courses.”