There is a pun intended when you call Tibetans a closely-knit community. This is the season when the Tibetans, numbering a few hundred, descend into Mumbai to sell their colourful woollen wares. The Tibetan sweater sellers had a few hours off on Tuesday when they gathered at a hall in Parel (E) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They also marked World Human Rights Day.

Speaker and invitee Suresh Londhe, Jt. Director, Development Commission Industries, Maharashtra government exhorted the Tibetans to, "move beyond the sweater. You come to Mumbai to sell your sweaters, but you have other traditional skill sets too. You also have marketing know-how." Londhe said it was time the community "brought other expertise for commercial gain. You have a rich and varied history of traditional medicine. Tibetan textiles and handicrafts, home decor items are much sought after too."