handicraft

her life

Meshing tech and rural crafts

Meenakshi Dubey, the founder of the online portal Yespoho and winner of the Union government’s Prajjwala Challenge, talks to us about how she uses technology to promote rural craftspersons.

her life

A rural woman’s ‘toy story’ towards success

An accidental brush with a training programme turns an unlettered rural woman into an entrepreneur who now runs a soft toy business in Rajasthan. She now earns Rs 30,000 per month and employs 12 women.

her life

The warm homespun blanket of Gaddi tribe is going cold

The small Gaddi tribe’s tradition of handloom weaving is slowly disappearing from Himachal Pradesh as fewer people are interested in the laborious process.

her life

Deaf-mute Kashmiri woodcarver’s work leaves world speechless

Woodcarver Muhammad Yusuf Muran of Srinagar is known to be the man with golden fingers. His Midas touch on his family’s 200-year-old craft amplifies Kashmir’s handicraft heritage.

her life

Odisha’s humble sabai grass makes fashion statement

Brought from Madagascar to Mayurbhanj long ago, sabai grass has been woven into baskets, bags and ropes used in WWII, but it is now a trending item in the high-end fashion boutique circuit.

her life

Kashidakari women look to grow embroidery earnings

Women in Jodhasar, who have begun embroidering for a living by putting traditional skills they used for embellishing personal clothing to good use, need better market linkages to boost incomes

her life

Tie and dye add color to women’s lives in Nosariya

Learning the traditional art of coloring fabrics is enabling many women in rural Bikaner to add an additional source of household income in an area where patriarchy makes it difficult for them to step out of their villages