Background

The handicraft sector is one of the largest export sectors of India. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, there 744 handicraft clusters employing more than 200,000 artisans across the country. A large portion of these individuals come from rural areas. This sector is significantly underserved due to its unorganized nature, lack of education and skills, and poor exposure to technology. Artisans need empowerment, skills-training, and upskilling to help them meet the demands of their profession. Many of the workers in this sector do not have any formal education but have learnt some skills on their own. As there is no structured system for learning and improving these skills, workers are unable to improve their product and increase their value. 

The crafts sector is labor-intensive and depends on traditional methods of production. This makes it difficult for artisans and workers to compete with factory-made products. Additionally, they lack marketing and branding skills leading to low exposure to the areas out their region. As most of these artisans are not very educated, they are unable to use technical skills to source for better equipment and resources. Learning specific skill-sets related to their handiwork, technical skills such as using the computer and internet, and soft skills to help in communication and marketing can help enhance their market and the value of their products.