The Crafts

The crafts offer handcrafted apparel and lifestyle products created by rural artisans from all over India. These artisans, born with talents and traditional skills that transform into the creation of elegant designs that are unique to their culture and heritage.

The Crafts’s products are contemporary in design but reasonably priced. Proceeds from sales help these artisans help themselves – our mission is to encourage women from less privileged backgrounds to acquire new skills, thus giving them the self-confidence and self-esteem required to earn by their own industry and initiative, enabling them to carry this newly discovered skill and confidence into the wider world. We are well aware of the rich culture and traditions our rural communities are bonded to, and they translate this heritage into products by pairing traditional art with contemporary designs and modern processes.

As a brand, the crafts Handicrafts constitute men’s wear, ladies’ wear, home décor products, and accessories. The crafts products use mirror work, patchwork, and embroidery created as a vibrant expression of the rural way of life, their rituals and their legends.

The crafts have been identified as a promising means of generating livelihood for hundreds of rural artisans. It has made a significant contribution to the lives of the women artisans working with it, helping them improve their economic as well as social status.

It continues its march towards fulfilling its vision of being a brand that symbolizes the empowerment of rural and semi-urban women while recognizing and promoting traditional handicraft techniques that are in danger of dying out with increased industrial growth and rapid urbanization.

It is with this in mind that the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD) set up the crafts. With the support of TCSRD, self-help groups (SHGs) have been formed in the villages of Okhamandal and members of these groups are trained in the processes of modern handicraft production. At present, over 500 rural artisans are benefiting from this program, with a goal to reach 5,000 over the next five years. Artisans are earning a monthly income of Rs 500 to Rs 11,000 depending on the hours they work at home or the center, their skill level, and design difficulty. The idea is to ensure that women can work at their pace and in their homes while managing their household. Special training on costs, designs and visual merchandising coupled with factory visits are provided on an ongoing basis to keep the women in touch with the latest trends, colors, and fashions.

The crafts aim to bring the traditions of India to customers all around the world with its unique creations and products. It not only helps its artisans become wage earners but also spreads awareness about the traditional crafts of the region, thus helping preserve a rich part of India’s national cultural heritage.