The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA), established in 2004, is a membership based non-profit organization for the handloom and handicrafts sector in India. It seeks to ensure the growth and continued vibrancy of this sector and a better standard of living for artisans and crafts workers. AIACA mobilizes multi stakeholder collaboration for promoting handicrafts in India and empowers marginalized women communities through hand skills.
KEY INITIATIVES
AIACA engages in policy research and advocacy, and implements a range of programmes to enhance access of craft producers to mainstream markets and promote craft-based enterprise growth. These include the Craftmark initiative to certify genuine handicrafts of India and the Enterprise Support Programme to assist craft producer groups to transition to commercially viable business entities. AIACA also undertakes more holistic cluster development programmes for sustainable livelihood generation of rural artisans.
CRAFTMARK
Craftmark (www.craftmark.org) is a certification programme designed and managed by AIACA that certifies genuine Indian handmade craft products produced in a socially responsible manner; develops sector-wide minimum standards and norms for labelling a product as a handicraft product; and increases consumer awareness of distinct handicraft traditions and tractability of the products from manufacturer to end consumer. Craftmark is being used by more than 80 crafts enterprises, with an outreach of more than 1,10,000 artisans across 23 states of India.
EVENTS
Craftmark Jury 2019 – Facilitating Conversations and Consultations.
The 8th Craftmark Jury event was organised on 28th June, 2019 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. It was designed to provide a Market Access platform and enable productive and specific discussions amongst the Craftmark members and the reputed industry experts. It encompassed multi-level discussions ranging from artisan anecdotes to production and marketing probes, which were anchored beautifully by the jury with practical analysis and constructive guidance.
The Jury panel comprised Ms. Purnima Rai (Former President, Delhi Crafts Council, New Delhi), Mr. Vallabh Rastogi (Senior Design Manager, JSL Lifestyle Ltd., New Delhi), Mr. Nitin Pamnani (Co-Founder, iTokri.com) and Mr. Ayush Kasliwal (Founder and Creative Head, Ayush Kasliwal Design Pvt. Ltd.)
PROJECTS
AIACA supports crafts based enterprise development, promotion and sustainability through various long and short term projects across the country. These projects are designed based on specific requirements and feasibility of the communities we work with.
Empowering handloom weavers of Varanasi
Developing and Strengthening Crafts based enterprises
Going Green
Supporting AIACA to strengthen the loin loom women artisans in Diezephe, Nagaland into a sustainable enterprise entity
Building Resilient Artisan Communities in Odisha
Weaving Waste Into a Brighter Future
Sabai Project
Revival of Mubarakpur weaves
Empowering women weavers of Kota
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