Knitting Her Way Out of Poverty, This Padma Shri Awardee Now Dominates World Markets

Manipur is a place rich in traditional arts and crafts, yet it often goes unnoticed due to a lack of resources, access, and other factors. While the people of Manipur do their best to retain them, few others rely on these traditional arts for their subsistence.  Mukutmoni Moirangthem, a 64-year-old mother from Kakching Town is one such woman who was initially prodded into resurrecting the Manipuri knitting style because of poverty. Three decades later, she continues to run a sizable production line of Manipuri knitted shoes out of love for the craft. Her shoes are currently in demand both domestically and internationally. About thirty years ago, she started knitting shoes because she couldn't afford to purchase new shoes for her daughter for school. Suffering from poverty, she took to knitting Manipuri shoes, a traditional craft. She stated that time and again she had to repair her daughter's shoes. So she took off the upper of the shoe and replaced it with a hand-knit one which she had fashioned from the leftover wool. The shoes were eye-catching and caught the attention of teachers, army personnel, and many others. Soon she started getting a steady stream of orders. In 1990, she established Mukta Shoes Industry as her business. She progressively learned the market dynamics and positioned her hand-knit goods in the center of it by showcasing her goods at trade shows and exhibitions. She received the Padmashri award for her art in 2022 as a result of the government's recognition of her entrepreneurship and efforts to empower underprivileged women and young people in Manipur.