Crafts in India

‘If you remove crafts, you remove India.’

Craft sector is the 2nd largest industry in India and it is not just one sector but a group of many sub-sectors. It constitutes India’s design heritage and thus it is very much required to give a careful consideration to this sector.

NID has been playing a very great role in strengthening the craft sector. At the time NID was debating the relevance of design and looking at crafts in terms of challenges of development: The transitions taking place, the potential and complexity of this sector.

Jawaja was one such project which tried to integrate many aspects of craft like culture, economy, design heritage, social structure and design inheritance. It is because of the constant efforts put in by Mr. Ashoke Chatterjee and Late Mr. Ravi Mathai for more than 35 years in Jawaja project that saved this 300 year old leather craft. In a critical area like Jawaja block, craft and design together created a sustainable environment. It is after so many years of perpetual efforts by NID that now, when these artisans walk into a Crafts Council meeting, they are respected and looked upon as wise.

Jawaja is one such example and there are many more but there still are so many sectors as well as aspects of those sectors including Jawaja where we can work and make this sector more organized. One such aspect is to work for the minorities and women which constituents the highest number of artisans but ironically do not get the right place and reward for the work they do.

In a nutshell, Craft sector is where our ability to create comes from and it is our responsibility to save this for the future generations.