Artisans

Naman and Vipul Gupta's Code Effort Private Limited is transforming cigarette butts into eco-friendly products using V bins and an innovative recycling process. Their venture is also creating sustainable livelihoods for ragpickers and artisans, empowering communities along the way.

Here’s a glimpse into the timeless weaving traditions of Himachal Pradesh, where art and history harmonise in the vibrant Kullu shawls and the narrative-rich Chamba rumals.

From the ancient craft villages of Bagru to modern homes, Punit Agarwal and Chandni Gupta have founded Aurum Crafts, a brand that specialises in handcrafted wooden kitchenware, hand-painted by local artisans.

Meet Ritik Gupta, a resident of Agra who chose not to pursue an MBA degree to launch Trocals, a travel startup that helps tourists explore the city’s lesser-known wonders.

Dattatreya Vyas founded Swadeshi Blessings in Rajasthan to revive clay utensils and support Indian craftsmen by bypassing middlemen. The family-run business collaborates with around 120 artisans.

Meet award-winning artisan Mala Pal from Kolkata’s famed Kumartuli locality, who is training several young people in idol making to keep an old art form from dying.

Nitin and Jia Pamnani, founders of online handicraft and textile retailer iTokri, discuss their motivation behind starting the venture, and how they have built the multi-crore brand into one that thousands across the globe trust.

Through their initiative Rivaayat, students of Delhi’s Shri Ram College of Commerce are helping terracotta pottery artisans earn a better livelihood.

Abhinav Yadav started his channel ‘Create Your Taste’ on Instagram during the first lockdown. It now helps local artisans of Varanasi showcase and sell their handmade bamboo, jute and cane products.

Pranav Malhotra, the Managing Director of Pashtush, speaks of taking the intrinsic work of weavers and artisans from the villages of Punjab, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to the rest of the world, and how Facebook helped him bridge this gap amid the lockdown.