Secretariat (Velagapudi): Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation (APHDC) and National Institute of Design (NID) on Wednesday signed two important memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to create new designs for handicraftsmen and manufacture them too.

Minister for Handloom and Textiles S Savitha said that the handicraftsmen would be introduced to new designs and to create latest artefacts. The Ahmadabad-based NID and APHDC signed the two memoranda of understanding in that direction in the presence of Minister S Savitha and principal secretary Yuvaraj in the Secretariat.

Lepakshi managing director Viswa and NID director Dr Ashok Mandal and AP director Dr Bhowmik Nagar signed the MoUs.

As per the MoUs, the handicraftsmen would be given training to make products with banana fibre and hyacinth. They would also be provided with marketing facility and awareness on packing and branding image development.

The handicraftsmen would be given training in banana fibrecrafts at Anantapuram and training in creation of artifacts with hyacinth at Machilipatnam ranging from three months to six months.