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Ima Keithel — Asia's Oldest All-Women Market with 5,000+ Women Vendors
“Where Women Are the Economy”
Manipur's Ima Keithel — the Mothers' Market — is one of the oldest and most extraordinary women's commercial institutions in the world. Located in Imphal, this market is run exclusively by women and has existed for over 500 years. Over 5,000 women vendors sell everything from vegetables and fish to handloom textiles and traditional medicines in this single market complex. Ima Keithel is not just a market — it is a demonstration that women can run an entire commercial economy independently, without male participation, for half a millennium. It is Manipur's proudest institution and a living symbol of women's economic sovereignty.
Manipuri handloom weaving is one of India's most distinctive textile traditions. The Phanek, Khwang-det, and Moirang Phee are woven by women using traditional pit-looms, creating fabrics with geometric patterns in natural colours that are uniquely Manipuri. Over 2 lakh women are registered handloom weavers in the state. Their products are sold across Northeast India, in Delhi boutiques, and increasingly on e-commerce platforms to buyers who appreciate authentic regional textiles over mass-produced fashion.
Manipur's women also lead in sports enterprise — an industry the state takes more seriously than almost anywhere else in India. The state that produced Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, and dozens of other national and international champions has a deep culture of women's sporting excellence. Many retired women athletes run sports training academies, fitness centres, and sports goods businesses that draw students from across Northeast India. Where women win medals, they also build businesses.
Sports & Women's Empowerment
Six-time World Boxing Champion and Olympic medalist who built the Mary Kom Boxing Academy, empowering hundreds of young women in Manipur through sports enterprise and training
Sports Achievement
Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting from Manipur — her success has inspired a generation of young women to pursue sports as a professional and entrepreneurial career path
Manipuri handloom textiles reach buyers across India and are increasingly exported to international craft markets. Mary Kom's boxing academy has trained champions who represent India globally. Manipur's organic farm produce, certified by state agencies, supplies premium health food markets in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai. The state's women athletes have brought international attention to Manipur, creating tourism and enterprise opportunities that benefit the broader women's economy.
Digital products designed to help you start, grow, and scale your business — wherever you are in India.
Showcase your handloom, organic farm, or sports enterprise online
Step-by-step guide to selling Manipuri textiles and products online
Track your weaving production, market sales, and income
Learn digital marketing for Northeast India artisan businesses
Join thousands of women entrepreneurs from Manipur and across India who use Srishti Digital Store to grow their businesses online.
Ima Keithel (Mothers' Market) is a 500-year-old market in Imphal, Manipur, run exclusively by women — it is one of the oldest and largest all-women markets in Asia. Over 5,000 women vendors sell produce, textiles, fish, and traditional goods. It is both a living marketplace and a historical symbol of women's economic sovereignty in Northeast India.
Manipur has 5,000+ Ima Keithel vendors, over 2 lakh registered handloom weavers, 8 lakh+ SHG members, and thousands of women in organic farming and sports enterprise. In Manipur, women's economic participation is not a goal — it is a centuries-old cultural reality.
Manipuri women represent India's Northeast in national and international craft markets through their handloom textiles. They represent India in world sports arenas through figures like Mary Kom and Mirabai Chanu. Their organic farming practices supply premium health food markets across India. They are among India's most culturally and commercially impactful women entrepreneurs relative to the state's small population.
Manipuri handloom textiles have national and international demand but limited online presence — this is a significant opportunity. Women weavers who build Instagram pages showing their weaving process and finished products can attract premium buyers from Delhi, Mumbai, and international craft markets. Social media templates designed for handloom and craft businesses can dramatically accelerate this process.
Start by photographing your handloom fabrics in natural light — Manipuri textiles are extraordinarily beautiful and photograph well. Create an Instagram page using social media templates. Post your weaving process, the colours, the patterns. Buyers who value authentic Northeast Indian textiles will find you. Use business eBooks to understand pricing and shipping for online sales.