The Lively Batik Center of Onde-Onde City

 The revitalization program at the Maja Barama Wastra Batik IKM Center, Mojokerto, is expected to make the area a pilot center for modern batik. 

The wrinkles on her face indicate that Kusrini is no longer young. However, the woman's fingers can be seen dancing nimbly on a piece of white cloth with a pencil-written pattern. A canting filled with hot wax is blown and written on the cloth according to the batik pattern carvings. 

Making batik, said Kusrini, who claims to be almost 60 years old, requires patience and diligence. "I have been working on batik for a long time. My older brother makes batik patterns, while I use wax to make batik. My family used to have a batik business, with around 50 people working. The women wrote and colored the batik, the older men nglorot batik or nembok (motif stamp) stamped batik," Kusrini.

Kusrini is just one of dozens of batik makers at the Kauman Batik Center, Solo, Central Java. They, generally, inherited their batik skills from their families. Kusrini, for example, has been practicing batik since she was in 3rd grade of elementary school. Sitting for hours and concentrating on batik with hot wax.

Revitalization of IKM

In addition to Solo, small and medium industry (IKM) batik centers are spread throughout the country. Referring to data from the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Small, Medium and Miscellaneous Industries (IKMA) of the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), until 2023, there are 201 batik industry centers in 11 provinces in Indonesia. In these batik centers, the batik artisans continue to survive. In addition to being shaken by the C0v1d-i9 pandemic crisis (2020-2023), they must also be able to compete with imported batik. 

Responding to this, the government through the Ministry of Industry has intervened. Namely, by building and revitalizing IKM Batik centers. This is part of one of the government's efforts to boost regional potential through the development of innovation and creativity of IKM actors in these centers. 

One of the steps taken is to utilize the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) for the IKM sector. "The existence of the batik IKM center is expected to produce many diversifications of batik products such as home decor products, bags, shoes, and clothing that will be marketed widely, domestically and abroad," said the Director General of Small, Medium, and Miscellaneous Industries (IKMA) of the Ministry of Industry Reni Yanita in Jakarta, Tuesday (13/2/2024).

Batik IKM Center

One of the batik centers that received the DAK IKM fund is the Maja Barama Wastra Batik IKM Center located on Jalan Kedungsari, Gunung Gedangan Village, Magersari District, Mojokerto City, East Java. In the inauguration of the center, on Wednesday (7/2/2024), the Director General of IKMA appreciated the steps taken by the Mojokerto City Government in utilizing the 2023 Physical DAK budget for the revitalization program of the Maja Barama Wastra Batik IKM Center located in the Onde-onde City. 

Director General of IKMA Reni revealed that the Mojokerto City Cooperatives, SMEs, Industry and Trade Service utilized DAK funds, not only for training or mentoring for batik IKM actors, but also for the preparation of the form of center services, business processes, branding, partnership opportunities, and exports. 

"The facilitation of the Maja Brama Wastra Batik IKM center building is also expected to help batik industry players in Mojokerto City in improving their abilities, creativity, and productivity with an environmental perspective," he explained. 

The implementation of the revitalization program for batik SME centers is in line with the national movement Proud of Indonesian Products, Proud of Indonesian Tourism and the program to Increase the Use of Domestic Products (P3DN). Because with the increase in SME capacity in the batik center, there are huge opportunities for SME Batik actors in Mojokerto City to be able to meet demand, both from the government procurement sector and the private sector, tourism, and the community who want unique Mojokerto batik products. 

In 2023, out of 201 batik industry centers spread across 11 provinces, there are 62 SME batik centers in East Java Province, one of which is located in Mojokerto City. Meanwhile, until 2023, batik centers built from DAK facilities are in 15 regions, one of which is the Maja Barama Wastra Batik SME Center.

The Maja Barama Wastra Batik IKM Center itself stands on an area of ​​5,300 square meters, and is expected to become a pilot center whose business processes are managed independently, accountably and professionally, and demonstrate good collaboration between local governments, batik IKM actors, and other stakeholders. "We are optimistic that in the future there will be many economic activities that can be carried out in this IKM center building," concluded Director General Reni.

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