Annanya Bhuyan
Annanya Bhuyan is the elder of Sulakshana B Bhuyan. She holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Development Practice from TERI, New Delhi and currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Delhi University in the department of Cluster Innovation Centre (CIC). She has experience with organizations like Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and Quality Council of India (QCI) as a part of her professional journey. She is a founder of a nonprofit organisation called Annanya Welfare Foundation (AWF) based in Guwahati, Assam with focus on development through livelihood, art and culture. She is also filmmaker with national and international awards received in the genre of documentary.
"Looking at the importance of promoting and incorporating social entrepreneurship into the economy, I think local businesses should work extensively towards community innovation, engagement and development. Local livelihood, art and culture enhancement is possible only when the vision of a producer/manufacturer unites with the vision of its promotors, marketers and retailers. Here, we cannot ignore the crucial role that technology can play in serving a social cause. So, in a time which only demands more from you, it is about how you can deliver your ideas with strategic execution and your belief in them", as narrated by Annanya.
According to Annanya, as the popularity of Traditional Assamese jewellery grew with Zangfai, the demand has increased many folds over the years. Therefore, she believes that Zangfai needs to expand its market, target population and break stereotypes to create contemporary yet traditional outlook amongst the jewellery enthusiasts. But most importantly, the indigenous craft of Assamese Jewellery making needs to continue and therefore, Annanya religiously believes that it is their responsibility to meet the expectations and unsaid aspirations of the local jewellery artisans of Assam.
Annanya Bhuyan visions to enrich and uplift the lives of artisans of traditional Assamese jewellery by promoting and protecting the socio-cultural and economic position of gold and silver jewellery of Assam. Her doctoral thesis is on Assamese Jewellery and therefore she wants to bridge the gap of theoretical and practical knowledge to safeguard the ancient craftsmanship of Assamese Jewellery.
“The Dying art of Assamese Traditional Jewellery was revived and it regained the popularity it deserved because of my mother. This encouraged many generations (old and new) of Assamese artisans to view this craft as a sustained source of livelihood. Our working unit considers Zangfai as their financial security and such kind of trust is exemplary and cannot be left behind.”
She became a part of the enterprise in the year 2020. She acted as the Creative Head of Marketing which included ideation of design concepts to execution, brand collaborations, product and model photography, and also product sales. The brand Logo which is an inspiration derived from her grandfather artist Pranab Baruah’s sketches, is an initiative started by her. The E-commerce website and social media pages are her creations where she created her own marketing content. Since 2024, the marketing is handled by an agency based in Guwahati.
Her vision still stands true and strong which is to safeguard the traditional craftmanship and expand the market reach through innovation and knowledge.