LuxeBook December 2020

I ts time our craftsmen take their products directly to their clients and build their own businesses. For decades, they have worked for others, mostly because they lack design education and expertise. A few organisations and individuals have been working to train them to innovate traditional crafts products and connect them directly with consumers. Tata Trusts’ Antaran, formed in 2018, is at the forefront, with its meticulous selection and training processes, and the goal to revive dying crafts clusters, which, as we know, is a herculean task. At present, the platform are intricate extra weft technique textiles woven in cotton, eri and muga silk woven in Kamrup and Nalbari of Assam, striking loin loom textiles of Nagaland, complex weft ikat of Maniabandha and textured tussars of Gopalpur, Odisha and the fine weaves of Venkatgiri, which were once patronised by the royals. Head of Crafts, Sharda Gautam, talk us through their programme. What was the idea behind Antaran? Antaran is a key intervention of the Tata Trusts’ craft-based livelihood programme, was initiated to bring seminal changes in the development of craft sector. The comprehensive programme aims to rejuvenate ailing handloom clusters through an end-to-end intervention. The overarching objective is to transform six pilot weaving clusters by creating artisan led microenterprises across each element of the value chain. Incubation and design centres have been set up in these pilot clusters as a one-stop destination for buyers, designers, researchers and lovers of traditional crafts. Antaran-led community initiatives across four states and six clusters are in: Assam (Kamrup and Nalbari), Nagaland (Dimapur), Odisha (Gopalpur and Maniabandha) and Andhra Pradesh (Venkatgiri) Sharda Gautam Head of Crafts, Tata Trusts 52| L U X E B O O K | D E C E MB E R 2 0 2 0 Andhra Pradesh Saree D E C E MB E R 2 0 2 0 | L U X E B O O K | 53 Artisan at work in Kamrup, Assam Artisan at work in Gopalpur, Odisha Arisan at work in Venkatgiri, Andhra Pradesh Artisan at work in Nagaland Artisan at work in Nalbari, Assam Juri Das on loom VOCAL FOR LOCAL TATA Trusts’ offline and online platform Antaran is reviving dying crafts clusters and turning Indian craftsmen and women into entrepreneurs, training them to make their mark in the burgeoning made-in-India market Reviving Art BY RIDDHI DOSHI