India has a long and unique history of art, with several indigenous crafts and practices passed down across generations of artisan communities. Unfortunately, many of these artisans today face a struggle for survival, competing against the cheap, rapidly produced products of the modern age. It is time modern industry helped these artisans claim their rightful share of the global market. It’s prett
y evident that India’s biggest need to fully leverage the demographic dividend is to create jobs and to create them close to where the rural population lives. Getting the youth of Rural India to the cities for jobs is not quite the best way to get them gainfully employed. Economic opportunities need to be taken to small towns and villages. Creating opportunities without uprooting the youth from their environment is perhaps the best way to create sustainable and socially relevant solutions for India today. Here is green Artsy craftex foundation came to support and flourish Indian traditional craft and artisan, women and rural places development. We set out on a tour of some of the arts and crafts of South India, covering the states of Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, kutch, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka many korai. The tour hoped to find out all about the state of the arts and crafts of these states—their opportunities and challenges. Soaking in the ethos of small-town India, the founders hoped to understand the lives of artisans, their aspirations, and what gives them pride. At Badohi, we met danish Bhai and his team of artisans practicing the 400-year-old craft of Badohi, Afghanistan thread beauty and authenticity. Like him, we met so many master artisan, team and carrying on the work of a master craftsman. The team met the people working to revive the crafts of many areas and regions. Their journey continued as they met artisans and organizations that are keeping the craft alive. These artisans have created a vibrant set of quality products that are now being exported. After all this exploring, the real journey was yet to begin! Green Artsy craftex foundation Trustee of Heart for Art Trust, “We actually found something quite different. We saw that artisans, organizations like the National Institute of Design, some NGOs, and existing social entrepreneurs had done enough. Besides, the artisans themselves had innate abilities to create new products based on inputs and market opportunities. So they clearly didn’t need much help there.”
In Retail markets have changed with changing business models, technology, and the Internet. Today, modern market linkages need to be created for India’s Art & Craft products. They need to take on plastic products, cheap Chinese goods, and the allure of the world’s consumer brands. Here’s what we must do to convince the modern consumer world of the joy of handcrafted elegance:
Availability of quality products online, at modern retail places, malls, supermarkets, and airports. It is important to get the products to where consumers of the world shop. Agencies need to conduct marketing campaigns online and offline. We must make PR efforts to educate consumers, leveraging India’s storytelling and advertising industry capabilities. India’s handicrafts need the equivalent of the Incredible India campaign. Get the best designers to work on the design, utility, and packaging of the products. Designers, engineers, marketers, and financiers must collaborate to create startups that energize this sector. It is imperative to get the corporate sector involved in supporting and adopting the Arts & Crafts of the country, through CSR programs and Corporate Gifting. Getting Architects to work with traditional artisans in commissioned projects for private and public spaces will provide a huge boost. Finally, it is important to engage consumers, the youth, and design students with products and stories of Arts & Crafts. They are our future consumers and potential future marketeers. It is time to go beyond the efforts of the oligarchy in the Art & Craft world—beyond the Dastakar Haats & Samitis and the State Emporia, to create pride in the ‘Made in India’ brand.
