AIACA roundtable on Khadi: From Policy to Practice.
December 2019
Discussion conducted at Habitat World included various deliberations on Khadi – Policy To Practice. The deliberations sought to answer questions as under:
- Are the current trade and certification practices in Khadi allowing for its untrammeled and unrestricted growth in emerging domestic & global markets?
- Is the governance of Khadi and KVIC, and the and the nature of its exercise, enabling Ease of entry and participation for the many stakeholders working with and on Khadi?
- Is the practice of Khadi still Viable as a first choice profession for young weavers and spinners in the country?
- For whom is Khadi today?
The AIACA team also released its report- How to revive the Khadi Sector An Evaluation with a special focus on the Khadi Act at the inaugural of the roundtable.
Craftmark Jury 2019 – Facilitating Conversations and Consultations.
June 28 2019
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.)
Sakshamaa Consultation to deliberate on revival of the Bawan Buti Craft of Bihar.
March 2019
AIACA participated in a workshop organized by Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), in consultation with Women Development Corporation (WDC), Government of Bihar to discuss issues including marketing, design innovations, promotion, and increase income of the Bawan Buti weavers. The key objective of the workshop was to seek suggestions from different stakeholders like AIACA for resurrecting, promoting and sustaining the Bawan Buti weaving form. AIACA shared its experience in the handloom and handicrafts sector and contributed in the discussions for the revival of this craft.
GoodWeave India’s round table meeting on ‘Training needs of Workers in Informal sector’.
January 2019
AIACA participated in Goodweave’s workshop whose objective was to develop a better understanding on how can training address different issues faced by the workers engaged in an informal economy and bring positive changes in their lives. AIACA’s team shared its model and approach in improving socio-economic well-being of the artisans through training, handicraft promotion, women empowerment, market, government and institutional linkages, and other relevant programs.
Ms. Sreya Mozumdar has joined as the new Executive Director of AIACA
Ms. Sreya Mozumdar has joined as the new Executive Director of AIACA, effective December 2018. With 11 years of experience in the development sector, she has held senior management roles in varied fields of program design and management, advocacy, networking and fundraising, knowledge management and incubation of new ideas/approaches. She brings to her work an academic experience of research into the area of women and gender. Team AIACA is proud to have her as part of the team.
Ms. Madhura Dutta (former Executive Director of AIACA) will continue her association with AIACA as a Board Member.
Jaipur Symposium “Folk and Tribal Art Traditions: Revival and Sustenance
August 31, 2018
AIACA participated in the Jaipur symposium that brought different stakeholders from across the country to brainstorm on the road ahead for traditional art forms in India which can lead to preserving these traditions and also engage them in livelihood creation. AIACA’s team showcased the story of Mubarakpur Weaves generating sustainable livelihood and displayed how the youth have been involved in the cluster. The event was organized by Rajasthan Lalit Kala Academy & Indian Institute of Crafts Design, Jaipur.
Craftmark showcased its sustainable Kota Doria collection at Lakme Fashion Week 2018
August 23, 2018
Craftmark in collaboration with Ka-Sha by Karishma Shahani Khan showcased an exquisite Kota Doria collection at the Lakme Fashion Week 2018. The Kota Women Weavers of Craftmark weaved beautiful yardages and the dyers dyed the yarn using techniques such as clamp dyeing. These yardages, in collaboration with the designer, were made into elegant contemporary garments presented as part of the sustainable fashion collection. The event provided a great platform to promote handcrafted processes and the artisans behind them, and helped strengthen business and market linkages for the handloom craft.
Craftmark Jury 2018 conducted at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
June 29 2018
Craftmark Jury was organised on 29th June, 2018 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, where members were invited to present their product samples and discuss business challenges. The members were assessed and evaluated by a panel of senior industry experts including Hitesh Rawat (Textile Designer, New Delhi), Kalyani Kunche (Design Head, Triburg, Gurgaon), Purnima Rai (Member, Delhi Crafts Council, New Delhi), Subhadra Banda (Head of Business Development, Partnerships & Policy, Etsy India).
The members received valuable feedback on design development, emerging market trends, business opportunities, international business and potential markets to tap.
National Conference on Going Green
June 11, 2018
AIACA conducted a National Conference held on 11th June, 2018 to mark the end of the Going Green Project (2014-2018) with various participants including Government members, partner and project representatives, artisans, designers, etc. The project, implemented in partnership with Traidcraft and supported by SwitchAsia-European Union, created awareness and implemented various eco-friendly practices in the textiles sector in six clusters of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Craftmark launched a website exclusively for the Toda Embroidery Craft.
April 19 2018
Craftmark has launched a unique website for the Toda Embroidery Craft that provides an opportunity to freely access and admire the history, culture and motifs of this tribe. The launch of the website, together with our funding partner – RBS Foundation India, is part of our long term work with them to revive and sustain their beautiful designs and traditions.
This website is a craft resource portal wherein we invite all craft enthusiasts, art lovers, students, researchers and other interested folks to browse through this website and get acquainted with the Toda community. Log on to the Toda portal http://toda.org.in/ for more information about the Toda craft!
Craftmark showcased its artisanal products at the Lakme Fashion Week under the label of “Craftmark: Sustainable Creative Economy”.
August 21 2017
Craftmark showcased its artisan products at the Lakme Fashion Week under the label of “Craftmark: Sustainable Creative Economy” between 16-20 August. The show was on 17th August and featured three collections from Craftmark members – Purkal Stree Shakti showcasing applique and patchwork, The Nabha Foundation showcasing Phulkari, and Sandur Kushala Kala Kendra showcasing Lambani embroidery, each of which has a unique story and way of sustaining the livelihood of women artisans that it works with.
The three collections were co-created by the artisans and designers Hetal Srivastav, Sonal Chitranshi and Anshu Arora to create a garment range that was very wearable, and which the members could continue to easily produce and sell at their own exhibitions and outlets.
This show was first of its kind, where the designers truly collaborated and co-created the collections with the artisans and artisan organizations, working with various authentic hand crafted processes and with the objective of promoting the artisan based enterprises at such a premium business platform.
At the Lakme Fashion Week, Craftmark also had a B2B space where the artisans directly interacted with buyers, facilitated by AIACA’s team.
AIACA signs MoU with NEDFi
Mar 2 2017
The Craftmark team visited Guwahati at the invitation of the Executive Director of NEDFi, Mr. Ashim kumar Das at NEDFi’s CRAFT Conclave 2017 in March as a knowledge partner to promote Craftmark certification in the north-east. The Craftmark team along with the Executive Director, Madhura Dutta gave a presentation about the programme and discussed various challenges being faced in the North east with the participants.
To further strengthen it’s relations, NEDFi signed an agreement with Craftmark with an aim to facilitate development of traditional crafts of the North Eastern Region, to build understanding of the rural artisans and weavers about quality and market standards for the handloom and handicraft products; to work for popularization of Craftmark and other quality standards which help in ensuring genuine Indian handicraft products to the customers and support fair income for the artisans.
Capacity Building Workshop at IHC, New Delhi
Jan 23 2017
Craftmark invited speakers from Women on Wings, EXIM Bank and the Digital Empowerment Foundation to discuss different capacity building strategies that an organization needs to foster growth and holistic development on January 23, 2017 at the Maple Hall in India Habitat Centre. The day was divided into three sections giving each of the representing bodies sometime to interact with the present Craftmark members. The first half of the workshop primarily talked about business challenges and the need to have an operational plan, the first session concluded with a SWOT analysis explained by speakers from Women on Wings.
The second session was chaired by EXIM bank and began with the concept and understanding of the working capital, the representatives also explained the different paper works and eligibility criteria required to apply for loans with EXIM bank. Case studies were also shared with the members. The workshop concluded with DEF explaining the importance and the power of effective story telling in digital platforms primarily social media. He discussed the various models of story telling and also the various tools of digital content that can be leveraged to increase brand awareness.
Craftmark participates in the International OIMO Festival, Kyrgyztan
Sep 1 2016
AIACA as a national network of artisan organizations from India, visited Kyrgyzstan and participated in the international OIMO festival, an annual 10 day cultural event and crafts fair that takes place in the heart of Bishkek between July 29 -7 August 2016, with representatives from 6 countries. The visit included participation at the fair as well as meeting and interacting with local artisans, exchanging ideas and developing a plan for starting the long term creative exchange programme supported by the CACSARC-kg and the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. AIACA finds great potential in this exchange programme for strengthening the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural growth. At the festival, artists, vendors, and presenters from different parts of the world came to share their unique cultures and celebrate regional bonds and friendship. Team Craftmark constituted of natural fibre and textile artisans of West Bengal (supported by SASHA World and Banglanatak dot com). Madurkathi, Handloom Weaving, Shantiniketan Leather, Dokra and Kantha were showcased. Among the Craftmark members who travelled was a National Awardee madurkathi artisan Gouri Rani Jana, whose exquisite work received much appreciation. The response at the fair was excellent and all products were sold out and highly appreciated.
Policy Seminar & Exhibition marked 10 years of Craftmark at IHC, New Delhi
Sep 2 2016
To mark ten years of the Craftmark Initiative, AIACA in collaboration with UNESCO successfully concluded a Policy Seminar and Exhibition of Craftmark products on September 2, 2016 at the Tamarind Hall, India Habitat Centre with Ms Rashmi Verma, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles as the Chief Guest.
The half-day event included a series of presentations and a panel discussion by influential thought leaders of the craft industry such as William Bissell (MD, Fabindia), Neelam Chhiber (Co-Founder and Managing Trustee, Industree Foundation), Meera Goradia (Cluster Development Head, Jaypore), Anuj Mishra (Head of Sourcing, House of Anita Dongre Limited), Maximiliano Modesti (Fashion entrepreneur for International Luxury Brands), Payal Nath (Founder and CEO, Kadam, and a Craftmark Member), Sharmistha Mohapatra (Head – Livelihoods and Rural Enterprise, IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Ltd), Srinivasan Iyer (Program Officer, Ford Foundation New Delhi), Sushma Kaushik (Principal, Aavishkar), Utpal Gokhale (GM, EXIM Bank) and Craftmark members from across India. The discussions focused on new initiatives and success stories in the field of creative and cultural industries, continuing challenges in design, capital, skills, technology and business growth in the sector, and explored potential collaborations between different stakeholders to spur enterprise led growth and increase incomes of artisans. The policy seminar was accompanied by an exhibition showcasing creations by Craftmark members, which was greatly appreciated.
Training on E-Commerce and Digital Media
Jul 18 2016
All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA), designed and coordinated a one day digital training workshop for CAF India’s partner organizations working primarily in the craft sector. This workshop was held in Delhi, and was designed to introduce the member organisations to the use of technology for promotion and marketing and enhancing their online presence in the sector. AIACA conducted this workshop in collaboration with Digital Empowerment Foundation, one of India’s leading practitioners in the field of Information & Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). Through all its diverse activities, DEF seeks to help people living in information darkness overcome the information barrier, learn how to use digital tools and the Internet to achieve greater socio-economic equality by uplifting themselves
SWITCH-Asia Regional Roundtable and Networking Event
Jun 2 2016
Swapnal Rawat, Capacity Building and Training Manager, AIACA participated in the SWITCH-Asia regional round-table and networking event held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on 2– 3 June 2016. This Networking Event gave the participants a forum to discuss their motivations, expectations, objectives, roles and experiences as non-state actors in designing, proposing and implementing development cooperation projects in the SWITCH-Asia framework. Through this event the participants were also exposed to the project implementation experiences in the South Asian developing countries. Further discussions were held on topics such as adaptation to local contexts and the inclusion of crosscutting issues like poverty alleviation and women empowerment.
British High Commissioner visits Varanasi Weavers Hub
Jun 28 2016
Sir Dominic Asquith, the British High Commissioner to India, visited the Varanasi Weavers Hub, the social enterprise AIACA has set up with the mission of rejuvenating and promoting the authentic Varanasi weaves and facilitating direct access of the marginalized but highly skilled handloom weavers to a fair share of diverse market channels, fair prices and due recognition. The Hub also continues to support the smaller weavers with design innovation, capital, and social benefits through government schemes.
The British High Commissioner interacted with the local team, the weavers themselves and was highly impressed with the intervention. He commented ” Both a fascinating and an uplifting experience and set of discussions. I am full of praise for what you do”.
‘Entrepreneurship and Business Development Workshop’ in Bajju, Rajasthan
Jun 28 2016
The Craftmark team travelled to Bajju (near Bikaner) in Rajasthan, to conduct a 3 day workshop at Urmul Campus introducing a group of 20- 25 master embroidery artisans to Entrepreneurship and Business Development. As a part of this workshop, the artisans interacted with Mr. Awadhesh Kumar, a successful entrepreneur and block printing master craftsman, who shared his experiences and challenges in setting up his business in this sector. We also conducted a series of activities that introduced concepts like costing, pricing, market potential, and sales channels for retail and wholesale markets. Market expert and designer – Sonal Chitranshi also interacted with the artisans to discuss the importance of design and quality control.
AIACA gets invited by Gocoop to hold a training workshop in Chanderi and Maheshwar
Jun 28 2016
Gocoop organized a training workshop for ecommerce and exports in Chanderi and Maheshwar on 17-18th and 20th- 21st May respectively. Gocoop invited AIACA to present on Craftmark, quality and compliance. The workshops that lasted for 2 days encompassed a set of 30-40 weavers from the Chanderi and Maheshwar clusters. GoCoop.com is India’s first social marketplace for easy and transparent sourcing of craft products. They also build an organization to facilitate cooperatives and artisans and to help buyers source handcrafted products and handloom fabrics from artisans in a simple, transparent and traceable way.
Craftmark Jury 2016 at the Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi
Jun 22 2016
Twice a year, Craftmark conducts a Jury event for its members at the Indian Habitat Center, New Delhi. As a part of the Jury, member organizations are invited to present their product samples to a panel of senior industry experts who provide critical feedback on design, export readiness and various market-related parameters.
International workshop on ‘Transmission and Sustainable Development of Traditional Craftsmanship’
May 21 2016
AIACA presented its project Mubarakpur Weaves – Weaving a New Story’ as a case study on revival of traditional craft process through enterprise development at the International Workshop on Transmission and Sustainable Development of Traditional Craftsmanship by the UNESCO Category II Centre, CRIHAP, in Shenzhen, China. AIACA was invited to present its work on entrepreneurship development and support in the handicraft/ handloom. UNESCO New Delhi nominated us as one of the lead organizations of India which contributes to creation of significant economic value through its interventions.
Craftmark presented 9 Craftmark members from across India at the “World Living Heritage Festival” by Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation Trust and UNESCO from 19th to 23rd March 2016 at the City Palace, Udaipur.
Mar 24 2016
Craftmark presented 9 Craftmark members from across India at the “World Living Heritage Festival” by Maharana Mewar Charitable Foundation Trust and UNESCO from 19th to 23rd March 2016 at the City Palace, Udaipur. The festival was attended by various foreign tourists and provided great exposure to Craftmark members.
Ross McEwan, CEO, RBS and Elaine Arden, Chief HR Officer, RBS engage with AIACA’s project in Tamil Nadu supported by RBS Foundation India.
Mar 17 2016
Ross McEwan, CEO, RBS and Elaine Arden, Chief HR Officer, RBS from UK took time from their busy schedule in India to engage with AIACA’s project in Tamil Nadu supported by RBS Foundation India.
AIACA’s journey and achievements with the Toda and Lambadi embroidery artisans were highly appreciated as there has been a 150% increase in the revenue of the local artisan based Societies and almost 300% increase in the average monthly income of the actual producers over the last 4 years !
Ross and Elaine engaged with the artisans, interacted with Sheela, CEO of Shalom Welfare Society working with the Toda artisans and inaugurated the repository of the revived designs of the Todas !
We thank RBS Foundation India for the continued support to AIACA.
State level consultation on ‘Developing Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Varanasi Handloom Weavers’ in Varanasi on 15th December 2015
Dec 16 2015
AIACA in association with PACS and Traidcraft Exchange, UK with the support of local partner Human Welfare Association (Varanasi) organized a State Level Consultation on ‘Developing Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities for Varanasi Handloom Weavers’ on 15 December 2015 at Hotel Clark, Varanasi.
Located within the context of the Uttar Pradesh Textile Policy 2014, this Consultation aimed to strategize on the way forward. The Consultation adopted a multi-stakeholder approach comprising of government officials, representatives of banks and financial institutions, weavers and non- government organizations.
Shri. S. Bandopadhyay, Dy. Director, Weaver Service Centre honored the conference as the Chief Guest with key dignitaries including- Shri. Umesh Kumar Singh, Joint Commissioner, Shri. Prakash Singh, Asst. Director, Textile Committee, Shri. Sushil Tiwari, DDM, NABARD, Shri. Yogendra Singh, DGM, UBI¸ Shri. Sunil Tyagi, GM, Kashi Gomti Gramin Vikas Bank, Shri. Rajan Bahl, Secretary, Varanasi Vastra Udhyog.
The deliberations focused on the following issues-
– Make craft based enterprises/business economically viable and help them grow rapidly, through achieving excellence in traditional skills, innovative design interventions and product development, business development skills, enhanced access of weavers to technology and resources, and facilitating direct access to markets
– Enhance the financing for the handloom and the handicraft sector
– Promotion of branding and marketing
– Enhancing the mainstreaming of crafts through education, training and research
– Convergence of Government schemes to facilitate and include Weavers and Craftworkers effectively into the mainstream economy and integrate them in inclusive growth
110 representatives from the government, banks, weavers, NGOs and media persons participated in the Consultation. The outcome included policy level recommendations with specific strategy and action points for the preservation and promotion of the Varanasi Weaving Industry.
AIACA organized a multi-stakeholder ‘Artisan Empowerment Workshop’ in Srinagar during 2-3 Nov in partnership with INTACH J&K and EXIM Bank
Nov 4 2015
All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) organized a multi-stakeholder ‘Artisan Empowerment Workshop and Policy Seminar’ during 2nd to 3rd November 2015 at the Tourism Meeting Hall in Srinagar, in partnership with INTACH Jammu &Kashmir and EXIM Bank.
The workshop was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Mr. Farooq Ahmed Shah, IAS (Secretary to Govt., Dept. of Tourism). Mr. Saleem Beg (Former Convener of INTACH and Former DG Culture and Tourism JK, Member of the National Monument Authority), and Mr. Utpal Gokhale (GM-EXIM Bank) were the guests of honor.
The two day event included a series of panel discussions and capacity building sessions on strengthening value chain in the handicrafts sector through an integrated and holistic approach with multi-stakeholder participation from government, non- government, industry experts and artisan communities.
The policy seminar on 2nd Nov focused on the theme of evolving end-to-end solutions for crafts in Kashmir, and consisted of three panels focusing on: evolving an integrated approach towards strengthening the value chain; enabling artisans to access finance; and importance of design development and innovation for the industry. The speakers included sector experts, government officials, experts on marketing and export and established local artisans. The participants of the workshop comprised of the local groups of crafts persons who have worked hard and achieved high degree of skill up gradation resulting in meeting the standards of the Craftmark. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, Associated Chamber of Commerce, Department of Handicrafts, Handlooms, J&K Bank also actively participated in the Policy Seminar. Case studies were presented where the crafts persons have benefitted by adopting modern marketing practices.
The Policy Seminar was followed by a number of capacity building sessions on access to finance, design innovation and marketing opportunities for Kashmir craft workers.
Introducing the workshop, Mr. Salem Beg highlighted the relevance of the event. He also stated that besides the intrinsic skills of the crafts persons, it was the enterprise and ingenuity of Kashmir traders and manufactures that gave the crafts a place of pride and prominence throughout the world. He also said that one of the major reasons of the difficulties faced by the craft is due to failure of the spirit of enterprise and the present seminar is aimed at correcting the present state of the sector.
Mr. Utpal Gokhale’s presentation was on EXIM Bank’s initiative to facilitate access to credit for Indian artisans.
Mr. Farooq Ahmed Shah, IAS thanked AIACA and Exim Bank for organizing the workshop. He stated that Kashmir craft has a very glorious past and has given respect and identity to Kashmir, besides being a substantial economic activity. He assured the participants that State Government shall take all necessary measures to reorganize the craft sector on modern professional lines. He also spoke on the government’s role in craft-based livelihood development and their schemes for benefitting the artisans.
A variety of issues and solutions were debated in the Policy Seminar discussions – the role of the government in strengthening the supply chain in favor of the artisans; focus on building a strong identity and market for Kashmiri crafts both in domestic and international markets, assessing the competition and identifying profitable markets in light of the recent central government’s focus on the revival of Indian handlooms. The interactions examined whether a dynamic multi-stakeholder approach was a possible solution for facilitating development of sustainable craft based entrepreneurship. First hand experiences of the artisans in terms of growth and marketing challenges were critical in discussing the way forward.
The second day was dedicated to interactive module based sessions on luxury brand building and market positioning for export by Ms. Kamal Wadkar (ex- official from Mela Artisans, an American company promoting the Indian crafts overseas), and on urban Indian markets by Mr. Nihal Peters (senior fashion designer). With marketing being a daunting challenge for Kashmiri artisans, these two sessions were very helpful for the artisans in terms of understanding their market, product positioning and branding.
Craftmark participated in the Festival of Lights exhibition at Dastkar Nature Bazaar during Oct 23 2015 to Nov 2 2015
Nov 3 2015
The policy seminar on 2nd Nov focused on the theme of evolving end-to-end solutions for crafts in Kashmir, and consisted of three panels focusing on: evolving an integrated approach towards strengthening the value chain; enabling artisans to access finance; and importance of design development and innovation for the industry. The speakers included sector experts, government officials, experts on marketing and export and established local artisans. The participants of the workshop comprised of the local groups of crafts persons who have worked hard and achieved high degree of skill up gradation resulting in meeting the standards of the Craftmark. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, Associated Chamber of Commerce, Department of Handicrafts, Handlooms, J&K Bank also actively participated in the Policy Seminar. Case studies were presented where the crafts persons have benefitted by adopting modern marketing practices.
Seminar on ‘Handloom Spaces – Locating Mubarakpur as a paradigm for renewal’ on 10th October 2015 at India International Center, Delhi.
Oct 10 2015
Mubarakpur located in Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh has been a historic weaving center since the 14th century. With powerlooms overwhelming the cluster, the seminar presents a case-study on building a sustainable collective structure for handloom renewal. The panel consisted of weavers from Mubarakpur and industry experts such as Ritu Sethi, Sudha Dhingra and Sunita Shanker.
The seminar was organised in collaboration with Craft Revival Trust.
AIACA successfully completed The ‘Business Development Programme’ with 156 weavers in Varanasi between February-December 2015 at The Varanasi Weavers Hub
Sep 17, 2015 to Jan 1, 2016
AIACA organized five business skills and market understanding training between February-December 2015 at the Varanasi Weavers Hub. 156 weavers from Ramnagar, Kotwa and Lohata clusters of Varanasi participated in the training program. The modules covered aspects such as business planning, production, pricing, marketing & e-platform, business risks, certification and various social schemes of Government to promote handloom weavers. In the feedback session, most of the respondents shared that this was their first time attending such training and therefore an important opportunity for increasing their understanding on different business aspects.
AIACA now a member of the Rajasthan Crafts Council
Oct 15 2015
AIACA became a Member of the Rajasthan Crafts Council and was invited to attend its first meeting in Oct 2015 under the chairpersonship of Hon’ble Chief Minister.
AIACA and Industree Crafts Foundation successfully conducted an advanced workshop on business development in Bangalore with members of 6 craft enterprises
Sep 27 2015
AIACA in collaboration with Industree Crafts Foundation conducted an advanced workshop for Craftmark members, in Bangalore on 25th and 26th September, 2015. The workshop introduced principles of six sigma and lean production to the participants through case studies. The participants understood through participatory activities how to make effective business plans and how to identify the right marketing channels for their products, amongst other learnings. Craftmark members from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka participated in the workshop.
AIACA joins hands with Google to launch ‘Indian Artisans Go Digital’ initiative
Aug 21 2015
21 August, New Delhi — All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) announced a new program called “Indian Artisans Go Digital” today, through a grant from Google India, to help Indian artisans build more sustainable businesses through the use of digital technology.
With Google’s support, AIACA’s Indian Artisans Go Digital program will support more than 5000 Indian artisans by the end of the year for getting Craftmark Certification for their products, to assure customers of the quality of their wares, and link them to e-commerce platforms to get direct access to markets.