Unveiling India's Craft Renaissance Histare and PubliqueSpace Lead Charge in Cultural Revival

Indian history is replete with the mysteries and magnificence of Indian arts and craft. In fact, crafts have occupied an integral place in the Indian sub-continent’s cultural fabric. From ornate jewellery to intricate sculptures, they reflect the diverse cultures of the country as well as the creativity and genius of the intergenerational Indian artisan families who created them. Besides being beautiful the crafts also represent something deeper:the country’s grounding in its past and the quest toward a progressive future.

Each craftform of the nation has its own unique story. For instance, the Kutch weaving style has been a symbol of pride, with its 600-year- old tradition of warp – weft weaving using an extra weft yarn. Geometric designs and patterns characterize its intricate handwoven motifs that have become a hall mark of this style. Another example is The craft of Woodworking – An ancient art that has been practiced in India since as far back as 7,000 BC.

The aesthetics of the crafts is apparent, but there is more to it than that. Ms. Katyayani Agarwal of INTACH rightly elaborates on the utility of the crafted items. “Crafts were not as they are perceived today, for ornamental purposes, but crafts were skills to make every day use items, to cook, to drink, to store, to wear - even the floor covering or dhurees that are now considered decorative had a purpose, to keep the floor and the room warm. With industrialization, mass production of everyday goods, which was fast and could adapt to changing tastes and aesthetics of the consumer really quickly, shoved slow to produce and adapt handmade products off the shelves. We need to reintegrate crafts into our daily lives, not bric a brac for the shelves. There has to be design intervention, to design products for contemporary life styles. Hand holding the crafts people to bring them up to speed with demands of the market. Crafts are pieces of art, but they must be looked beyond just pieces of art, they have to be used everyday, that’s the key for the survival of our ancient crafts tradition” she says.

The Custodians of Indian Crafts

These Intergenerational Indian artisan families have long been custodians of cultural traditions, preserving them through the generations. By mastering skills and techniques, they carry on the aesthetics, values, and symbols of their communities. These families also preserve ancestral stories, mythology, and values through their work. Many cultures have used craft as an expression of identity. Their work often depicts religious practices, heroes’ stories, and the natural beauty that they observe around. In some cases, these stories become embedded in the art. The materials used or the colours chosen may have deeper meaning than what we perceive, they represent facets of the culture in which they were made.

The State of Business

India's handicraft industry continues to remain a major source of Livelihood in the country, and a significant proportion of artisans depend on it as a source of sustenance. Handicrafts is one of the most important sectors in the Indian economy employing more than seven million people. The handicraft industry in India is dominated by females who comprise over 56% of the working labour. The country has 744 handicraft clusters employing nearly 212,000 artisans and offering over 35,000 products. The Handloom industry is the country's largest cottage industry, with 23.77 lakh Handlooms.

The Challenges

Despite this, the artisanal sector remains neglected by policymakers, leaving craftspeople in the wake of dire poverty, deplorable wages, and unreliable incomes. As a result, many employees in this sector are unable to meet even their basic needs, trapping them and their families in generational poverty. Some of the key challenges include The Problem of access to reliable markets and income security and The disparity in the pricing of the craft. This is due to the fact that the materials used by these artisan families are often sourced from a variety of different places, which leads to differences in the cost of goods. Additionally, the labor that goes into creating each piece of craftwork is also highly personalised, leaving the amount of pricing up to the discretion of the artist. Many of these families work in isolation, making it difficult to compare prices. The lack of standardization in the craft sector can lead to further disparity in pricing. Organisations such as Sasha Association for craft producers and Silence adhere to the principles of fair trade, ensuring fairness in manufacturing, quality, and pricing. Despite these efforts, which are too little too late, the artisans continue to face troubled times.

The Way Ahead

In order to strengthen the sustainability of artisanal livelihoods, there is an urgent need to1) Develop Robust Market Ecosystems linking buyers and sellers. Organisations like Craft Reach have committed to helping disadvantaged artisans from India. It provides a curated marketplace where buyers can easily find and purchase high-quality products directly from the artisans. Neer is an online platform where buyers discover more than 10,000 Indian handcrafted products across 62countries. 2) Provide training in business and marketing strategies to workers. For example, work done by Women World Banking and Spark Micro-Grants has impacted millions of lives.3)Adapt product design innovation to enable artisans to cater to the needs of an ever-changing marketplace. Ranjan Bordoloi is especially adept at utilizing the existing abilities of craftspeople to fabricate practical objects.4)Integrate digital and media technologies into the sector. Programmes such as Google Arts & Culture, which demonstrate the intricate process of creation and how challenging it is to create something, provide buyers with a greater appreciation and understanding of the process involved, making them less disposed to haggle for handmade items.5)Facilitate Market Interventions that can enable unbridled access to local, domestic, and international markets, through various business model approaches like - commerce, retail, etc that can bring financial prosperity to the artisan families. The Crafts Council of India holds annual exhibitions to showcase traditional Indian handicrafts to national and international audiences.

"The government's active support and encouragement can play a crucial role in promoting and elevating the Indian handicraft market to the global stage. By providing financial incentives, infrastructure development, and export assistance, the government can empower the artisans and boost the growth of this sector." Says cultural diplomat Puja Kaushik, Former head of Indian Cultural Centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The time is ripe for the nation to recognize the potential of Indian crafts and invest in measures that will ensure the long-term sustainability of India's crafts industry: From its deep-rooted symbolism to its potential for growth, India’s craftsmanship is an enduring testament to the beauty and resilience of Indian culture and to the creativity of the craftsmen who have played an integral role in shaping it for not just centuries but millennia. It can serve as a promising new source of revenue through Tourism, Cultural Experiences, and Market Promotion. This will breathe a fresh lease of life into the industry and showcase India’s rich culture and traditions to the rest of the world.

The article has been co-authored by Akhil Vadehra & Hrishikesh Baskaran. Akhil Vadehra is an Artistic Director and Cultural strategist and the founder of Histare. Hrishikesh Baskaran is a policy and sustainability expert. He helped Hyderabad become a UNESCO Creative City. He has lived in 4 countries and is passionate about understanding cultures and bringing that knowledge to the Arts & Culture Space.

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